Erdogan says Turkey becomes 3rd to develop COVID-19 vaccines

ISTANBUL - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey has become the third country to develop vaccines locally against COVID-19 after the United States and China according to the World Health Organization.

"The COVID-19 Turkey Platform, founded by the TUBITAK (the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey,) is currently working on eight different vaccines and 10 different medication projects," Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the TUBITAK Excellence Centers in the northwestern province of Kocaeli.

"Collaborating with state and private sectors and universities, Turkey has been making significant progress in developing vaccines and drugs against COVID-19," the Turkish leader added.

Erdogan noted that two vaccine candidates have successfully completed the animal tests, and one of them has received ethical approval to move on to the clinical trial on humans.

The total COVID-19 cases in Turkey reached 239,622 on Saturday with a death toll of 5,829, according to the latest official data.