Turkey to target local production of medicine: PM

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on March 10 that Turkey aims to manufacture all medicine required in the country locally, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

“Eighty percent of medicines consumed in Turkey were produced locally in 2017,” Yıldırım said in a statement issued by the Prime Ministry.

The statement added that Turkey produced medicine worth nearly 2.2 billion Turkish Liras ($600 million) in 2017.

“Turkey has the capacity to produce medicine worth 6.1 billion liras ($1.6 billion),” it said, adding that producing medicines locally would save the country billions of liras.

Up to now, Turkey has produced 577 types of medicines for use.

“If we want a more powerful Turkey, we must widen our horizons for indigenous projects,” Yıldırım stated said.