FM Çavuşoğlu tests positive for COVID-19
Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu speaks during a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, at the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, in Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 16, 2021. (AP File Photo)


Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has tested positive for COVID-19, he said in a statement on his Twitter account on Wednesday.

The minister said that he is isolating himself and will continue to work from home during his isolation.

"Thankfully I have mild symptoms. I will continue my work from home without taking a break," he said on Twitter.

Çavuşoğlu's diagnosis comes over a week after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, first lady Emine Erdoğan and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar tested positive for the virus.

The Erdoğan couple was in self-isolation in their residence in Istanbul. The infection did not affect their daily routine as they experienced only mild symptoms. The president’s self-isolation process ended last Thursday after he tested negative but the first lady had to quarantine longer. The president said Monday that the first lady was still positive and would not be able to accompany him in his landmark visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The defense minister tested negative on Tuesday and announced that he would attend the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels.

All officials have been vaccinated and had mild symptoms during their isolation.