Politics of Turkey

In a phone call on April 3, Turkey's president and the head of the European Council discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues.

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the EU's Charles Michel also discussed efforts to fight COVID-19, said Turkey's Communications Directorate.

Municipalities being run by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will continue to deliver aid to families in need due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak despite the blocks imposed by the government, the head of the party said, calling on the government to coordinate efforts for the sake of society during these difficult days.

Turkey's president on April 2 announced that the first phase of a hospital complex in Istanbul will start operating on April 20.

"We are opening the first phase of İkitelli City Hospital, which has 2,682 beds, on April 20," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Twitter.

"We will complete our other hospitals quickly and put them into the service of our nation."

Some 124 Turkish citizens living abroad have died due to COVID-19, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said.

Çavuşoğlu's remarks came after attending a NATO foreign ministers' meeting.

He said more than 20,000 citizens in total have been brought back to Turkey from 50 countries.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sent separate letters to the prime ministers of Italy and Spain after Turkey delivered military equipment to its European allies, the two countries worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with condolences for the lives lost due to COVID-19.

Turkey's three largest metropolitan municipalities, of Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, which are all ruled by the opposition parties, have been accused of running a "parallel state" by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the nation fights the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Turkish military aircraft carrying medical aid departed from the capital Ankara for Italy and Spain, the countries worst hit by the novel coronavirus in Europe.

The Head of State has initiated a national solidarity campaign

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that he is donating 7 monthly salaries to help fight COVID-19.

In doing so, the Head of State became the initiator of a national solidarity campaign, which he addressed to the nation.

Turkey's president on March 30 launched a National Solidarity Campaign to aid fight against the novel coronavirus.

Announcing the "We are self-sufficient, Turkey" campaign, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was donating his seven months of his salary as a way to kick start the fundraiser and added that several ministers have already joined as well.

Greece is reportedly in a heightened state of vigilance at all levels, so that in the coming period of its forced introversion to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic the conditions are not created that would allow Ankara to spring any surprises.