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DPA
Istanbul
The Turkish government on Saturday reported a limited number of violations against a two-day partial lockdown to contain the new coronavirus that was announced with little warning.
Authorities have started legal proceedings against a total of 2,756 people in the 31 largest cities, the Interior Ministry said, according to state news agency Anadolu.
Turks in those cities, which include Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, are banned from leaving their homes from Friday midnight until midnight on Sunday.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu insisted late Friday that the curfew would not be extended.
It was not immediately clear if all of those who defied the lockdown were fined, or by how much.
“Almost all” of the citizens affected by the curfew have stayed home, the ministry said, adding that the lockdown covers nearly 64 million people in the country of 83 million.
The curfew announcement came only two hours before midnight on Friday, leading thousands of people to crowd grocery stores, defying the virus measures.
Only bakeries, pharmacies and some petrol stations are allowed to stay open during the curfew.
Social media was flooded with images from across the country showing people swarming small shops, panic-buying essential goods such as water and bread. Fights broke out in some instances.
The opposition criticized the government for the sudden decision, which it said led to even further confusion.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said his office was not informed about the curfew decision.
Turkey’s coronavirus death toll jumped by 95 in a day to hit 1,101 on Saturday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Confirmed cases rose by 5,138, to more than 52,000.
The increased traffic on the streets late on Friday threatened to accelerate the spread of the disease, warned Tevfik Ozlu, a member of a science board that advises the government on virus measures.
There could be negative effects in “a week to 10 days,” he said in a televised interview, warning of a “scary possibility of infection.”
Istanbul
The Turkish government on Saturday reported a limited number of violations against a two-day partial lockdown to contain the new coronavirus that was announced with little warning.
Authorities have started legal proceedings against a total of 2,756 people in the 31 largest cities, the Interior Ministry said, according to state news agency Anadolu.
Turks in those cities, which include Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, are banned from leaving their homes from Friday midnight until midnight on Sunday.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu insisted late Friday that the curfew would not be extended.
It was not immediately clear if all of those who defied the lockdown were fined, or by how much.
“Almost all” of the citizens affected by the curfew have stayed home, the ministry said, adding that the lockdown covers nearly 64 million people in the country of 83 million.
The curfew announcement came only two hours before midnight on Friday, leading thousands of people to crowd grocery stores, defying the virus measures.
Only bakeries, pharmacies and some petrol stations are allowed to stay open during the curfew.
Social media was flooded with images from across the country showing people swarming small shops, panic-buying essential goods such as water and bread. Fights broke out in some instances.
The opposition criticized the government for the sudden decision, which it said led to even further confusion.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said his office was not informed about the curfew decision.
Turkey’s coronavirus death toll jumped by 95 in a day to hit 1,101 on Saturday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Confirmed cases rose by 5,138, to more than 52,000.
The increased traffic on the streets late on Friday threatened to accelerate the spread of the disease, warned Tevfik Ozlu, a member of a science board that advises the government on virus measures.
There could be negative effects in “a week to 10 days,” he said in a televised interview, warning of a “scary possibility of infection.”
