Senior Turkish, Indian officials discuss coronavirus

By Mehmet Tosun

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish presidential spokesman discussed the latest developments on the coronavirus outbreak with the Indian national security adviser on Tuesday.

Ibrahim Kalin told Ajit Doval that Ankara was ready to offer help and show solidarity with India which is dealing with a sharp escalation of the virus, according to diplomatic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

India's caseload rose to more than 17 million and its death toll nears 200,000 as the country registered a staggering number of new infections for five straight days, with more than 350,000 cases alone on Monday.

Over 148 million cases have been recorded worldwide since the eruption of the pandemic in China in December 2019. The global death toll stands at more than 3.12 million and recoveries have topped 85.68 million, according to US-based John Hopkins University.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas