Turkey has always been one of the leaders in overseas property sales. In 2019 and 2020 the country observed the record growth rates of property sales.
Nevertheless, the coronavirus situation has affected everyone living in Turkey. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced the global coronavirus pandemic. In Turkey, the government took measures and introduced a quarantine regime. The following restrictions were introduced:
- A curfew was introduced for citizens under 20;
- Closed 31 provinces including Istanbul (exit and entry); Set up checkpoints on the border of Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Adana;
- Closed all schools, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and cancelled sports competitions.
Penalties for failure to comply with quarantine measures up to 3,150 Turkish liras ($485).
In addition, evacuation measures were taken for foreign nationals who were in the country when the virus pandemic was announced, and additional flights were introduced with the support of the Turkish and foreign governments.
At the moment, pharmacies, grocery stores and convenience stores are open and there is no shortage of goods in the shops as well as in the warehouses. Most restaurants and cafes are closed, and those that continue to work are only allowed to sell takeaway meals. No guests are allowed in the restaurants and cafes.
In the table below you can see how the number of people visiting public places has decreased:
|
|
Shopping and entertainment |
Markets and pharmacies |
Parks |
Public transport |
Offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Turkey |
-75% |
-39% |
-58% |
-71% |
-45% |
|
Italy |
-94% |
-85% |
-90% |
-87% |
-63% |
|
Spain |
-94% |
-76% |
-89% |
-88% |
-64% |
The overall rate of domestic travel fell by 81%.
Furthermore, it’s been already a few weeks that absolutely all educational institutions have been closed, schoolchildren have been transferred to online home education using a platform called EBA. And even sports schools, such as the Altinordu Football Academy, introduced online lessons, including courses on healthy lifestyles, nutrition of athletes, and football theory.
Number of residents by age
In order to comply with the quarantine restrictions, all promenades, park areas, and other recreation areas were closed or limited in time for visiting, it is also strictly forbidden to make fires and barbecues. As for the resort areas, the government introduced particularly strict measures, the tourist season was postponed (for at least one month), hotels, guesthouses, tourist spots and routes are closed. According to the latest information from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, the opening of the tourism season will be postponed to approximately the end of May 2020, with the tourism market targeting domestic tourism.
Also, travels within the country have been restricted, for instance:
1. Intercity bus service. You can use intercity buses only in extreme cases (for medical reasons, death of a close relative, lack of accommodation for the last two weeks) and to use them you must obtain a permission from the councils created by the local authorities and located at the bus stations (Seyahat İzin Kurulu);
2. When traveling by public transport, passengers must keep a social distance;
3. International passenger flights are cancelled, except for the flights to evacuate foreign citizens.
In general, many people try to follow all possible safety measures. Given the newly introduced bans on leaving home, the majority of the population are staying at home and taking additional safety measures. For example, a Turkish farmer from the city of Ordu sterilizes banknotes, explaining that he is worried not only about the health of his family, but also clients.
However, the main concerns are related to the increased level of unemployment, many residents lost their jobs and have no source of income. Anticipating the current unemployment situation, the government introduced a number of measures and laws protecting the rights of citizens and businesses during the quarantine. So, businesses were ensured tax benefits during the lockdown. In order to protect tenant companies, the government passed the new law regulating the suspension of all legal claims for non-payment of lease, the deferral of lease payments without penalties. For socially vulnerable people, the government ensured additional financial support in the amount of 1,000 liras (approximately $147).
Coronavirus cases in Turkey 05/04/2020
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