Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a press conference late Monday that Turkey's direct financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed $17 billion (TL 147 billion), Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.
"Turkey's direct financial support during the pandemic topped $17.3 billion," he said.
Erdogan also said that the government's financial supports aim to reach 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2021. The president stated that Turkey boosted employment by 2.8 million since the start of the outbreak in April 2020 by compensating for lost jobs.
Erdogan also gave good news with regards to Turkey's exports.
"Turkey will break a new record by exceeding $200 billion in total exports by the end of this year," he said.