RAF plane sent to pressure Turkey to release gowns for NHS

UK government makes desperate move to force export of PPE it promised for Sunday

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The British government reacted desperately to delays in securing urgently needed supplies of personal protective equipment from Turkey on Monday evening, dispatching an RAF plane in an attempt to force Ankara to release them.

The plane, one of three that have been waiting to be dispatched to pick up the shipment of 400,000 protective gowns for NHS staff, took off from RAF Brize Norton on Monday despite earlier ministerial assurances that the matter was on the brink of being resolved.

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