US thanks Turkey for aid against coronavirus

The US' top diplomat and two congressmen have thanked Turkey for sending medical aid to the country to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak.

One day after a Turkish military plane landed in Washington, DC with medical supplies to help combat the disease, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter Sunday that they are grateful to Turkey.

"We are grateful for our @NATO Ally #Turkey. Their support is helping U.S. companies who are doing good work to help fight #COVID19 around the world," wrote Pompeo. "We will get through this together, and come out stronger than before."

Congressman Alex Mooney of West Virginia on Saturday also wrote on Twitter thanking Turkey for the aid: "Turkey’s shipment of medical supplies and essential equipment to the US to help combat the coronavirus is a generous gesture of goodwill and solidarity."

Ohio Congressman Steve Chabot, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on US-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, thanked Turkey for sending two donations to help protect frontline medical professionals.

A Turkish military cargo plane carrying a second batch of medical supplies landed at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, DC on Friday.

The first shipment on Wednesday brought 500,000 surgical masks, 4,000 overalls, 2,000 liters of disinfectant, 1,500 goggles, 400 N-95 masks, and 500 face shields.

Turkey has helped at least 57 countries, including Italy, Spain and the UK, and remains the world's third-largest provider of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.

The pandemic has killed more than 66,000 people in the US, with the total number of infections exceeding 1.1 million.

COVID-19 cases have been reported in 187 countries and regions since it emerged in Wuhan, China last December, with the US and Europe the hardest-hit areas.

More than 3.4 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll nearing 244,000 and more than 1 million recoveries, according to data compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.