May 12, 2021
ISTANBUL Nearly two weeks into a 17-day nationwide lockdown, Turkey has seen new daily COVID-19 cases fall by more than half to under 15,000 since tight social distancing measures were imposed in late April. The restrictions, which closed most businesses and kept nonessential workers home, have led to steep declines in new infections, prompting state officials to move forward with a planned easing on May 17.
In a video message marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday the nation would gradually lift the lockdown after the festivities.
ISTANBUL: Turkey’s Directorate General of Security under the interior ministry has issued a circular banning citizens from filming or recording police officers during demonstrations. The circular, which was revealed by the Progressive Lawyers Association, came just before May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day celebrations across the country. This year, due to the pandemic lockdown,
Saturday, 1 May, 2021 - 07:15
The most renowned Istiklal Street in Istanbul is almost deserted due to the low number of visitors and lockdown measures amid COVID-19 pandemic. AP Istanbul - Asharq Al-Awsat
Turkey’s tourism sector has incurred huge losses during Q1 2021, in light of the remarkable decline in foreign tourist arrivals and revenues, data showed on Friday.
Turkey’s tourism revenues fell 40.2 percent and foreign visitor arrivals dropped 53.9 percent during the period between January and March, Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said.
In the first quarter, revenues dropped to $2.45 billion, TurkStat noted.
In 2020, tourism revenues fell by 65 percent to $12.059 billion, which highlights the impact of the coronavirus-driven travel restrictions on the sector.
Turkish security forces are patrolling main streets and staffing checkpoints at city entrances and exists to enforce Turkey’s strictest COVID-19 lockdown to date
Suzan Fraser
A dog lays on a virtually empty Istiklal Street, in Istanbul, Friday, April 30, 2021, on the first day of a tight lockdown to help protect from the spread of the coronavirus. Turkish security forces on Friday patrolled main streets and set up checkpoints at entry and exits points of cities, to enforce Turkeyâs strictest COVID-19 lockdown to date. Still, many people were on the move as the government, desperate not to shut down the economy completely, kept some sectors exempt from the restrictions. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) April 30, 2021 - 10:11 AM
ANKARA, Turkey - Turkish security forces on Friday patrolled main streets and set up checkpoints at entry and exits points of cities, to enforce Turkeyâs strictest COVID-19 lockdown to date. Still, many people were on the move as the government, desperate not to shut down the economy completely, kept some sectors exempt from the restrictions.