Turkey to suspend all judicial proceedings until April 30

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül has announced that all judicial proceedings have been suspended until April 30, as part of measures taken to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"As by the law passed in parliament, all judicial proceedings have been suspended until April 30. The HSK [Council of Judges and Prosecutors] have been authorized for other measures such as the postponement of trials," Gül said in a tweet.

Parliament on March 24 passed an omnibus bill overseeing amendments in some laws for regulations in the economy.

The bill stipulates many changes from granting financial help for minimum wage for employers, to postponing electricity and natural gas payments in disaster areas.

"Our citizens will not experience any loss of rights; let's stay at home and decrease the risk," Gül added.

Turkey's death toll from the coronavirus increased by seven to 44, as the number of confirmed cases rose by 343 to 1,872, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on late March 24.

He said on Twitter that 3,952 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out in Turkey to around 28,000.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that there are no confirmed cases among the Turkish military staff.

"We have not had any incidents so far, and we will complete our duties without one," Akar told a press conference.

Akar also announced that a center to mitigate the spread of coronavirus outbreak in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was established.

The center aims to monitor and manage the measures against the virus in military units and headquarters.

The armed forces are also producing medical masks and sanitizers, Akar said. "We aim to...

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