* Photo: Cem Özdel / AA
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Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has made a statement about the citizens of Turkey recently brought to Turkey from abroad amid new coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, the measures taken in the country against the virus and the recent developments in Europe.
Indicating that 32 citizens of Turkey have so far lost their lives abroad due to the virus, the Minister has noted that Turkey is continuing efforts to being some of the funerals home at the request of their families.
2,721 students were brought back from eight countries last night (March 24), the Minister added and briefly stated the following:
Refugees
'We will meet with NATO Secretary General tomorrow. After our Dear President's visit to Brussels, we have started a new process with the EU about the March 18 Agreement. Our technical teams continue their efforts.
"Will the EU keep its broken promises about migration in the next period, what needs to be done more in current conditions, how will the refugees' return to their countries, especially to Syria, will be ensured... We are more elaborately working on these issues, including on safe zones.
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'2,721 students came from 8 countries'
"As of yesterday evening, we brought back our 2 thousand 721 students from eight countries. There were our students who wanted to come back from Sudan as well, we brought them, too.
"The have been quarantined for 14 days. It is a global epidemic and our citizens living abroad, please, do not go out unless you have to. Inform our foreign missions if you need anything.
'Our 32 citizens have died abroad'
"Our 32 citizens have lost their lives abroad coronavirus. The majority of them were from European countries. Some families wanted the deceased bodies to be brought back to Turkey. We are providing these families with the necessary help to bring them back.
"There are no normal flights, but cargo flights still continue. Taking the necessary measures, we are giving the necessary support to bring the deceased bodies of our citizens back to our country."
Concluding his remarks, Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu has also noted that Turkey has so far sent medical equipment to 17 countries. "We have proposed to raise funds. We are not the richest, but the most generous country of the world," Çavuşoğlu has added. (TP/SD)
* Source: AA