Secretive Russia Deal Allows Erdogan Ally to Produce Sputnik V
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A close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preparing to produce Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine under a months-old deal shrouded in secrecy.
Ozturk Oran, the chairman of Islamic bank Vakif Katilim and owner of the VisCoran Ilac Sanayii pharmaceutical company, signed an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund to manufacture the vaccine in Turkey. Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian fund, confirmed a joint production agreement with a Turkish company but declined to identify it.