Turkey: AK Party lawmaker tests positive for virus

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A leading lawmaker of Turkey's ruling party announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"Due to a positive result from the last corona test which we have routinely done, the necessary medical process has been initiated today,” Muhammet Emin Akbasoglu, the Justice and Development (AK) Party's deputy parliamentary group chairman, said on Twitter.

"Thank Allah, my general health is good," he said.

Akbasoglu called for prayers from his beloved friends.

His announcement comes after three opposition lawmakers tested positive Saturday for COVID-19.

The three are members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

Turkey’s COVID-19 cases reached 199,906 on Tuesday, including 173,111 recoveries and 5,131 deaths.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 508,000 people worldwide, with more than 10.3 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 5 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University of the US.

The US, Brazil, Russia and India are currently the worst-hit countries in the world.