Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US leader Donald Trump have discussed the coronavirus pandemic, bilateral relations and regional developments.
The Turkish presidency’s office on Sunday said the two leaders agreed to continue their “close co-operation” against the threats posed by the coronavirus on public health and the economy.
This would be a “necessity of the spirit of solidarity required by being Nato allies", the office said after their phone call.
The two leaders also spoke at the end of March.
The US has the highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world and Turkey now ranks seventh, Johns Hopkins University’s data on the coronavirus pandemic show.
They have both surpassed China, where Covid-19 emerged.
Fahrettin Koca, the Turkish Health Minister, said a total of 2,017 people have died of the coronavirus in the country, with 127 new deaths in the past 24 hours.
Dr Koca, in figures tweeted on Sunday, said 3,977 infections were confirmed in the past day, bringing the total number to 86,306.
Confirmed cases in Turkey have passed the rates in neighbouring Iran, the university’s data shows.
Dr Koca said 11,976 people have recovered so far in Turkey, including 1,523 in the past 24 hours.
A weekend lockdown in 31 Turkish provinces is nearing its end, after which people between the ages of 20 and 65 can move around.
But the government has urged people to stay at home and hopes the rate of infections will reach its peak in coming days.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.
For some, especially older people and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness including pneumonia, and could lead to death.
