Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a video conference call with France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Britain’s Boris Johnson today to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis, Libya and the coronavirus pandemic. The mini summit was meant to take place in Istanbul but was held virtually instead because of the travel restrictions stemming from the spread of the virus. The reported number of cases in Turkey had risen to 98 at the last count with one fatality so far.
Photographs showing Erdogan and his top aides sitting around a table facing a giant screen will have snuffed out mounting speculation that the Turkish leader may have contracted COVID-19. His cheeks were ruddy and he seemed alert. Erdogan hadn’t been seen in public since Friday prayers, where thermal cameras were used to watch for potential carriers in the congregation.
