ANKARA: President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey would emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a stronger economy, urging Turks to follow social distancing and hygiene measures amid a rise in coronavirus cases and deaths.

"Turkey reaching its goals depends on its battle with the coronavirus ending successfully," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara, repeating his view that Turkey can take advantage of a shake-up in the global economy due to the pandemic.

Turkey has so far recorded almost 280,000 cases of COVID-19, with 6,673 deaths, according to Health Ministry data. The lira has hit record lows over concerns about inflation, loose monetary policy and the central bank's depleted forex reserves.