Galatasaray offer their property for use as hospital

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - Galatasaray offered to allocate their building in the Turkish metropolitan city of Istanbul to the Ministry of Health in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

''We announce that we are ready to allocate the 182-room building owned by our club and planned as a hotel in [Istanbul's] Mecidiyekoy, to the Health Ministry to be used as a hospital if needed in the difficult days of our country because of the coronavirus outbreak,'' the club said on Thursday.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions.

Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections nearing 1.5 million, with the death toll over 89,700. More than 337,000 people have recovered.

In Turkey, the death toll has risen to 812, with over 38,200 people testing positive, according to the country's health minister.