UPDATE-Medical supplies sent by Turkey arrive in Ukraine

UPDATES WITH ARRIVAL OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Sena Guler and Ali Cura

ANKARA, Turkey/ KIEV, Ukraine (AA) – Medical supplies sent from Turkey on Friday arrived in Ukraine to help fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.

“Medical aid supplies, prepared at the direction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for use against the COVID-19 outbreak, have been sent to Ukraine,” Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Turkey sent 150,000 face masks and 500 overalls, including disinfectant and protective equipment for face and eye, said a statement by the Turkish Embassy in Kiev.

The Turkish Airlines plane carrying the aid was welcomed by Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar and Turkish Ambassador in Kiev Yagmur Ahmet Guldere.

“Turkey has always been there for its friends in these hard times,” Guldere told Anadolu Agency.

“This aid will power Ukrainian healthcare professionals in their fight against the pandemic and bring healthier days closer,” he added.

Turkey also sent supplies to Tunisia earlier in the day.

In a Wednesday statement, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said some two-thirds of the nations of the world have requested medical supplies from Turkey to fight coronavirus, and nearly half of these requests were met.

The countries included the worst-hit ones such as Italy, Spain, and the UK, while Turkey remains the world's third-largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 187 countries and regions. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 270,400 worldwide, with total infections over 3.87 million, while above 1.29 million patients have recovered, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.