Indonesian Ambassador Denies Turkey Ordered 5 Million Doses Of Dr. Terawan's Nusantara Vaccine

Dr Terawan/VOI

JAKARTA - Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, denied the information circulating that the Turkish government would buy 5 million doses of the Nusantara vaccine for the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

"The results of my clarification to the competent authorities in Turkey can be ascertained that there has never been any thought, plan, or discussion by the Turkish government to buy Nusantara vaccines in Indonesia", said Iqbal in his statement, Monday, August 30.

Ambassador Iqbal's statement came after news circulated that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would buy a vaccine from former Indonesian health minister Terawan Agus Putranto.

Iqbal emphasized that there was no discussion about the possibility of the third phase of the Nusantara vaccine clinical trial in Turkey.

"Turkey itself has developed three types of homemade vaccines and two of them have entered phase three clinical trials", explained Ambassador Iqbal.

Iqbal also explained that the daily number of COVID-19 infection cases in Turkey was below 17,000 per day. For complete vaccination, he said, two doses have reached 45 percent of the population, or about 93 million doses, and are targeted to reach 70 percent in the next month.

"So Turkey is not suitable for phase three vaccine clinical trials", he said.

It is known, on social media, that a narrative appeared that said Turkey ordered 5.2 million doses of the Nusantara vaccine.

Turkey ordered 5 million doses, also delivered by Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Airlangga University, Prof. Chairul Anwar who claimed to have received information from Terawan.