ANKARA: President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he had reminded China's foreign minister during talks in Ankara on Thursday that Turkey expects to receive 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac Biotech as per a deal between the two countries.

Turkey has until now been using COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinovac, received as part of an agreement to procure a total of 100 million doses, and has administered 14.6 million shots, with 8.2 million people having received a first dose, since Jan. 14 when the nationwide rollout began. On Thursday, Turkey said it has begun initial talks to procure Russia's Sputnik-V shot.

Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul after Friday prayers that he had told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Turkey had not received the 50 million doses by the end of February as pledged in the agreement and was therefore expecting them. He said Wang told him he would bring the issue up with China's president