Former AKP district chair granted deal to produce Russia's Sputnik V vaccine
The owner of a Turkish pharmaceutical company with which Russia signed an agreement to cooperate for the production of Sputnik V vaccine has turned out to be a former AKP district chair, daily Birgün reported on April 25.
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The owner of a Turkish pharmaceutical firm that will produce Russia's Sputnik V vaccine at its plants has turned out to be a former district chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), daily Birgün reported on April 26.
Russia signed an agreement with Viscoran İlaç to begin producing its Sputnik V vaccine in Turkey. In a joint statement, the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Viscoran İlaç announced the deal on April 26.
“We are very pleased to have contributed to such a valuable product that is discussed in the international arena,” Viscoran İlaç owner Öztürk Oran said.
Oran is also the chairman of Islamic bank Vakıf Katılım and also a board member on the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).
Oran served as the AKP's chair for Istanbul's Üsküdar district between 2012-2014.
In 2014, he was elected as a board member for state-owned Vakıflar Bank in 2014, a post which he kept for three years. In 2015, he also became the chairman of Vakıf Katılım, on whose website there is no mention of Oran's AKP background.