Turkic Council to donate 2.5M COVID-19 vaccines to Africa

The Turkic Council will be donating 2.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses to Africa, including 2 million from Turkey, the country's president said on Friday.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with the other leaders of the Turkic Council, held a press conference on Democracy and Freedom Island off Istanbul.

Erdogan in his speech said that in the meeting, the leaders emphasized their intention to act together against climate change and crises such as the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have once again documented our determination to continue our fight against all forms of terrorism, extremism, racism, and Islamophobia," Erdogan added.

He emphasized that by sharing the opportunities of the pandemic, the council showed once again that they were one and together as the Turkic world.

"The region of Turkestan, the cradle of civilization, will once again become a center of attraction and enlightenment for all humanity," said Erdogan.

During the summit, the leaders accepted the Turkic World 2040 Vision Document, which outlines perspective on the future of the organization, noted Erdogan, adding that the meeting should be considered a fresh sign of eternal brotherhood in the Turkic world.

"No one should be disturbed by the Turkic Council, and, on the contrary, should try to be a part of this unique structure based on ancient history and human relations," he underlined.

Erdogan had earlier met with the heads of member states at the Turkic Council's secretariat in the historical Sultanahmet district ahead of the summit.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended the ceremony, along with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Also present was Prime Minister Viktor Orban representing Hungary as an observer state, as did Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the first time. Turkic Council Secretary General Baghdad Amreyev was also at the event.

The Turkic Council was formed in 2009 to promote cooperation among countries speaking Turkic languages.