ANKARA, Jul 1:More than 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have now been administered in Turkey, the country’s president announced on Thursday.

 Vaccines are “our most effective weapon in the fight against the corona-virus pandemic,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter.

 He said Turkovac, the country’s homegrown corona-virus vaccine currently in Phase 3 of clinical trials, will be launched soon to boost Turkey’s efforts to overcome the pandemic.“We will carry Turkey to a healthier future,” the president vowed.

 Amid a nationwide decline in infections, Turkey has further eased COVID-19 curbs starting Thursday, with daily curfews and intercity travel restrictions lifted and offices allowed to reopen.

Cinemas will also open for business, while restaurants and cafes can serve diners with no limits on capacity.

Turkey’s overall COVID-19 tally stood at over 5.42 million as of Wednesday, including a death toll of 49,732.