Defense Minister Hulusi Akar tested positive for COVID-19, he said in a statement Sunday.

"I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, I am in good health and continue to work by taking the necessary precautions," the National Defense Ministry quoted Akar as saying on Twitter.

The development comes a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan contracted the virus.

A recent surge in coronavirus cases in Turkey and around the world is attributed to the omicron variant, which is said to be relatively mild but extremely contagious.

Turkey has administered nearly 143 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched an immunization drive in January last year.