Turkish Prime Minister Says Chicken Safe To Eat

Turkey continues to cull thousands of birds to stem the spread of avian influenza (AFP) 17 January 2006 -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says it is safe to eat chicken products, even as the country is culling birds to stem the spread of bird flu.

Erdogan said there is no need to panic over bird flu, and that there is no advantage in hurting Turkey's poultry sector, which employs many people.

Poultry sales have fallen in Turkey since the latest outbreak of avian influenza. Experts say eating poultry products poses no health threat if properly cooked.

Bird flu has killed four children in the country since December. Some 21 Turks so far have been diagnosed with bird flu.

(AP, AFP, Reuters)

Affected Areas

Affected Areas

Click on the map for a closer view of the areas within RFE/RL's broadcast region where cases of diseased fowl have been confirmed. Last updated on February 20.

BIRD FLU, or avian influenza, continues to menace scattered areas from East Asia, where the disease first appeared, to Southeastern and Eastern Europe and beyond. Authorities around the world are bracing themselves -- and, more importantly, planning and taking measures to fight the disease wherever it appears.

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