Turkey will impose a fresh lockdown next weekend as part of measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, after a 48-hour curfew in 31 provinces that ended at midnight.
The curfew covered all Turkey’s major cities including its commercial hub Istanbul, which is home to 16 million residents. People had rushed to shops to stock up on supplies on Friday, when the weekened lockdown was announced at short notice.
The 48-hour curfew marked a major development in Turkey, which had previously adopted a more relaxed approach to fighting the virus than its neighbors in Europe and the Mideast.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu took responsibility for the poorly timed announcement of the weekend curfew that prompted thousands of people to rush into the streets. He is one of the most senior figures in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
Soylu said: “Responsibility for implementing the weekend curfew decision, which was aimed at preventing the epidemic, belongs entirely to me.” The Communications Ministry later issued a statement saying Soylu’s resignation had not been accepted and he would continue to serve.
Via Anadolu / AP / Reuters
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