Turkish foreign minister on Saturday said the government authorized the transfer of ventilators to Spain, and dismissed reports claiming that the Turkish administration sought to confiscate medical equipment amid COVID-19 outbreak.

Axar.az reports citing Turkish media.

“Confiscating medical products is an ugly accusation,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a live broadcast and added that the Spanish Foreign Ministry corrected reports as well.

Notably, in a Twitter post, Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya confirmed Cavusoglu's remarks, and said Spain appreciated the "gesture of a friend and ally".

Cavusoglu said a total of 94 countries requested medical equipment and items from Turkey in a bid to battle the virus, and it was not possible to meet the needs of all as the country itself needed such equipment.

Exporting medical items are required to have the authorization of the Health Ministry, he said, adding that Turkey has so far dispatched medical items to 23 countries.