Turkey's death toll from coronavirus topped 500, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Saturday, while the number of cases reached nearly 24,000.
Most of Turkey's cases have been registered in the country's economic capital Istanbul.
So far, a total of 786 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals, while 1,311 patients are currently under intensive care units, Koca said. The recovery rate demonstrated a significant rise.
Also, 19,664 tests were conducted on Saturday, and the number of overall tests carried out so far reached 161,380.
After originating in China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 181 countries and regions across the world, with its epicenter shifting to Europe.
The pandemic has killed more than 62,300 people, and infected over 1.1 million, while more than 237,400 people recovered from the disease, according to figures collated by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
