ISTANBUL - ''I will examine health system of Spain,'' Turkish Health Minister Recep Akdag said on Wednesday before leaving for Madrid for a visit upon invitation of his Spanish counterpart.
Akdag held a news conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport prior to his departure.
''We are making researches in many countries, mostly EU members, while preparing (our) Transformation Program in Health. Visit to Spain is within this framework'' he said.
Pertaining to the claims that risky blood products from Britain that could cause the human form of mad cow disease were exported to 14 countries, including Turkey, Akdag said, ''we have not received any new information from British officials after 2004.''
''In 2004, British Embassy stated that there could be some problems about the blood products (produced between 1995-1997 and sold to Turkey). According to the searches that were carried out (then), we have determined that no blood products entered Turkey with the serial numbers that were stated,'' Akdag underscored.
''Britain has warned 14 countries that recipients of British blood products exported in the 1990s could be at risk of developing the human form of mad cow disease'', the Health Protection Agency confirmed Tuesday.
''The 14 countries that received the blood products were Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, France, India, Israel, Jordan, the Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, Belgium, Morocco, Egypt, Brazil and Turkey'', the Health Protection Agency said.