Turkish university launches initiative to produce cure for coronavirus

A Turkish university has ramped up its efforts to produce testing kits for the novel coronavirus as the highly contagious disease continues to sweep across the world.

Located in the Turkish capital, Ankara University, which has conducted numerous research studies from cell tissue banking to gene therapy, has now mobilized its scientists to produce testing kits and find a vaccine for the Covid-19.

President of Ankara University, Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş, said that more than 20 researchers at the university are currently working to tackle the pandemic.

"There are also academicians from other universities who are jointly working on the project," he said.

Turkey's Ministry of Technology and the Ministry of Health have already mobilized to combat the potentially fatal respiratory illness which was first detected in December 2019, he said, underlining the importance of domestic production.

He urged the public to do their bit to help prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 by practicing social distancing and adhering to hygiene rules.