Turkey to evacuate students from affected countries

ANKARA

Turkey announced on Friday that it would evacuate Turkish students in countries where it had suspended air traffic.

Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Twitter that students staying temporarily in the U.K., Ireland, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who want to return Turkey, could apply to the country's diplomatic missions by Saturday.

The order came from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Oktay added.

"Our citizens will be evacuated with Turkish Airlines in coordination with the ministries of foreign affairs, health and transport and infrastructure. They will be held under quarantine in line with the rules set by the Science Board," said Oktay.

Turkey has so far confirmed four confirmed deaths from coronavirus known as COVID-19, with 359 cases.

COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 164 countries and territories. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

Out of more than 266,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 11,000, and over 87,000 have recovered, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who become infected suffer only mild symptoms and recover.