Erdoğan stated that he had been unable to join the Conference due to the Cabinet Meeting, and said, “Nevertheless, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address you through this video in the light of the importance I attach to the matter.”

Erdoğan first offered his condolences for citizens who lost their lives as a result of the pandemic, and wished a speedy recovery to those currently under care, and continued his remarks as follows, “The investments we have made so far in city hospitals have provided us with significant advantages in the fight against the pandemic. Although we already have a robust healthcare system and strong investments in infrastructure, we have begun the construction of new full-fledged pandemic hospitals with a capacity of 2100 beds at three different locations in Istanbul. We will complete the construction of these hospitals and put them into service in 3 weeks’ time.”

"It will pave the way for achieving our target without allowing room for tautologies and bureaucracy in our efforts"

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan noted that the coronavirus pandemic had ceased to be a mere health crisis and turned into a unique global test with political, economic, and social dimensions, and continued his remarks as follows:

This pandemic has reminded us of the fact that our fate is common, even though our languages and religions are different. With this point of view, Turkey has provided 57 countries with the assistance of medical supplies so far. We also continue to be a reliable partner in terms of the supply of critical medical supplies that are needed in this process, ranging from masks to ventilators. We also share our country's experiences in the fight against the virus with our friends along with our means. The vaccine appears to be the most effective instrument to eradicate the virus. Besides our national initiatives, we also support the global efforts for diagnosis, treatment and vaccine development. Under the G-20 Statement we agreed on March 26, we pledged to provide financing for the rapid development of a vaccine. We have therefore considered it a duty to be a part of today’s ‘Coronavirus Global Response’ pledging event. It will pave the way for achieving our target without allowing room for tautologies and bureaucracy in our efforts. Covid-19 vaccine must be the shared property of the whole of mankind. In this regard, it is critical that global access to the vaccine to be produced is guaranteed and the principle of ‘leaving noone behind’ is implemented diligently. We will take all these matters into consideration when deciding on our financial contribution to vaccine development efforts. We will announce the amount that we will determine following the assessments by 23 May.

At the end of his remarks, President Erdoğan thanked all agencies, organizations and stakeholders contributing to the event to achieve its purpose by wishing it to be auspicious for the whole world.

In the video message broadcasted with English subtitles, the images of recently opened city hospitals and pandemic hospitals under construction were also included. (ILKHA)