Turkey exports more than 1,000 mechanical ventilators to combat coronavirus pandemic

Turkey has exported more than 1,000 mechanical ventilators crucial in treating COVID-19, the country's industry and technology minister said Wednesday.

Addressing a meeting of a local trade chamber via a video link, Mustafa Varank said Turkey is also carrying out innovative projects for diagnostic kits and systems that will make a name for the country in the sector worldwide.

Varank pointed out that many countries are facing crises in the production of basic medical equipment.

"The discrimination between developed or developing countries has disappeared. Countries boasting their economic and technological power have been late in combating the pandemic," Varank said.

Over the last month, Turkey set up mass production of mechanical ventilators, which were designed by Turkish technology firm BIOSYS and produced with the backing of Baykar, major appliance firm Arçelik and defense giant ASELSAN.

Baykar, ASELSAN and Arçelik supported BIOSYS' mechanical ventilator model, rolling 100 units off the production line in just two weeks.

As part of the project, 5,000 units will be produced by the end of May.

With severe shortness of breath a hallmark of COVID-19, the pandemic has raised the need for medical ventilators, resulting in a fresh impetus for defense, technology and automotive companies across the globe to research and manufacture the devices.

Touching on economic indicators announced recently by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), such as confidence indexes, Varank said readings are seeing an upward trend.

Turkey's services, retail trade and construction sectors improved in May, going up 10.8%, 5% and 31.1%, respectively, from April.

The consumer confidence index also rose 8.5% month-on-month in May.

"The concept of 'confidence' will be at the center of any type of economic activity," Varank stressed.