President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the emergency use approval of Turkey's first domestically-developed coronavirus vaccine.

Turkovac in June entered Phase III trials involving 40,800 participants in Turkey. No official data about its efficacy have been released, according to AFP.

But the health ministry's coronavirus advisory board member Ates Kara told Turkish media that it was “very successful” and could be “a little better in comparison with other inactivated vaccines”.

“No individuals vaccinated with Turkovac have had a severe form of Covid-19 requiring hospitalisation or intensive care so far,” Kara was quoted as saying last weekend.

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...