ISTANBUL

Turkey's flag carrier Turkish Airlines announced that it suspended its China and Iran flights -- except the capital Tehran -- due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The carrier also said in a press release on Tuesday that, based on the decree of Turkey's official authorities, foreign people who were in China or Iran's northern city of Qom in the last 14 days will not be granted entry to Turkey.

The carrier's China flights are suspended till the end of this February and Iran flights are cancelled till the 10th of March.

Turkish Airlines said: "We urge you to take the precautions in effect to account when planning your travels."

These decisions were taken by the carrier for preventing spread and limit the effects of the virus.

The virus, which was first detected in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the capital of central Hubei province, has caused over 2,600 deaths so far, with more than 77,000 confirmed cases in China.

Following the global spread of the virus, the WHO declared the outbreak an international health emergency.