Erdogan tucks into 14 poultry dishes
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 01, 2006 11:32
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan proudly ate from a selection of 14 chicken and egg dishes at the parliament building in Ankara on Tuesday to promote the poultry sector and quell public fears over the bird flu crisis that killed four children. "It is out of the question for us to banish these delicious products from our tables," Erdogan told the press gathered around the table. Erdogan ate among ministers and parliament representatives of the poultry sector in a show of support that Turkish poultry is safe to eat.
Haberin Devamı
The country's poultry sector was hard hit by the crisis, registering a decrease in consumption by up to 70% since the second outbreak in December.
Those who were diagnosed with the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, seventeen people, all of whom were children but two, contracted the disease after being in close contact with sick birds. Fourteen of the diagnosed have now been released from hospital and three boys remain under treatment but seem to be steadily improving.
The government said the crisis will cost the country an expected 53.2 million lira ($40m). The sector has an annual turnover of some $3bn.