President Xi Jinping spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the phone on the evening of 8 April.
Noting the severe challenge Turkey is facing as COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, Xi extended on behalf of the Chinese government and people, heartfelt sympathies and firm support to the government and people of Turkey. Xi said that having just emerged from the most difficult time through arduous efforts, the Chinese people are accelerating the effort to return life and work to normal. China is making tremendous effort to step up production of medical and containment materials in a bid to provide as much as it can for the global fight against the outbreak. China has provided supplies to Turkey for the fight against the virus and arranged video exchanges between medical experts of the two countries to share response experiences. China stands ready to provide further help to Turkey in light of its needs and will assist and facilitate its procurement of medical supplies from China. Xi expressed confidence that under the leadership of Erdoğan, Turkey will ultimately prevail over the outbreak.
Xi stressed that viruses respect no borders or races and can only be defeated by the international community working together. China and Turkey should enhance cooperation and coordination to follow through on the agreement of the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit on COVID-19 and make a joint contribution to the global fight against the outbreak. The two sides should strengthen mutual political trust, in particular, mutual understanding and support on issues bearing on each other's core interests and major concerns, foster greater synergy between their development strategies, and deepen practical cooperation in various fields in order to bring the bilateral relationship to a new level.
Erdoğan noted that the war against COVID-19 is one that confronts all humanity. He expressed admiration for the heroic efforts with which the Chinese people have defeated the outbreak, adding that China has set a fine example for the world and its unreserved efforts to provide medical supplies for the world have been a great inspiration to the international community. He underscored that the people of the two countries have each other's support and enjoy a long-lasting friendship, and thanked China for supporting Turkey's response to the outbreak and facilitating its purchase of medical supplies in China. Turkey hopes to strengthen practical cooperation with China in trade, finance, aviation and other areas and wishes China more prosperity and its people greater happiness emerging from the outbreak.