Latest News from Turkey
Turkish doctor succumbs to coronavirus
A Turkish doctor has died after contracting coronavirus from his patient.
Dr. Cemil Taşçıoğlu, who succumbed to the disease on April 1, was a professor of Internal Medicine at Istanbul University.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, professor Dr. Tufan Tükek, dean of Istanbul University, said Taşçıoğlu had tested positive for the virus and was being treated since March 16.
Turkish PMI falls to 48.1 due to virus outbreak
Turkey's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was at 48.1 this March, down from 52.4 in February, posting below the 50 no-change mark for the first time in three months.
According to the Istanbul Chamber of Industry PMI Manufacturing Index report, prepared in cooperation with global data firm IHS Markit, output and new orders both softened, while firms scaled back purchasing activity.
Turkish banks receive loan applications online
Turkish state-owned banks have started accepting applications for personal loans up to 10,000 Turkish Liras (nearly $1,500) online and via phones on April 1.
Erdoğan, Putin discuss COVID-19, Syria on phone
The Turkish and Russian presidents on April 1 discussed over phone ways to combat the novel coronavirus, according to an official statement.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin also discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, Turkey's Communication Directorate said.
552.5 million liras donated to Turkey's National Solidarity Campaign
Turkey has collected 552.5 million Turkish liras ($82.4 million) so far as part of a National Solidarity Campaign to aid the fight against the novel coronavirus, according to its official website.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched a National Solidarity Campaign on March 30 to aid the fight against the novel coronavirus, donating seven months of his salary to the initiative.
Over 8,800 confirmed coronavirus cases in Istabul: Minister
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on April 1 that the coronavirus has spread to each of 81 provinces, with 60 percent cases seen in Istanbul.
Turkey’s coronavirus death toll rises to 277, with 15,679 total cases
Turkey's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak increased by 63 to 277 on April 1, while the number of confirmed cases of the disease rose by 2,148 to 15,679, the health minister said.
Fahrettin Koca told a press conference that 14,396 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out in Turkey to 106,799 since the outbreak began.
Turkish President Accuses Municipalities of Forming ‘Parallel State’
Turkey's three largest metropolitan municipalities, of Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, which are all ruled by the opposition parties, have been accused of running a "parallel state" by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the nation fights the COVID-19 pandemic.
Erdoğan slams CHP mayors for ‘unauthorized’ aid campaign
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 1 slammed the Republican People's Party (CHP) municipalities for carrying out their own fundraising campaigns to help citizens during the coronavirus outbreak, accusing them of attempting to be "a state within the state."
Camera traps snap photos from wildlife
Camera traps placed in a national park in the western Black Sea province of Düzce have recorded the daily lives of animals living in their natural habitats.
The General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks shared the images of wildlife going on in the forests.
The images also included species such as the endangered lynx and the red deer.
Turkey lets students defer higher education
Students studying at undergraduate and graduate programs will be able to defer their registrations in the spring semester of 2019-2020 academic year, said Turkish Council of Higher Education on April 1.
Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Turkish authorities decided to close all schools and universities to avert the spread of the virus as of March 16.
The end of an era
The death in February of Greek writer Alki Zei, at the age of 97, closes not only a life of distinguished authorship but also a period of Greek history which is about to come under review. With the bicentenary of the War of Independence next year, and the centenary of the Anatolian Catastrophe in 2022, Zei's lifetime embraces many cardinal points of modern history.
The Border Checkpoints through which the “Green Corridors” Border for Supply of Goods will Pass are now Clear
The Council of Ministers has defined the border points on Bulgarian territory through which unobstructed passage of commodities will be ensured. The plan for securing "green corridors" along the European road network has been proposed by the Minister for Transport, Information Technology and Communications. It complies with the guidelines of the European Commission of 16 March 2020.
Turkish family gets virus hate letter in Germany
A Turkish family in Germany's Hamburg has received a hate letter which the sender claims is contaminated with the coronavirus.
The letter was addressed to Önder Koca, a 28-year-old German-born man with Turkish origins.
Further cubs on travel considered
Authorities are considering additional measures to curb intercity travel particularly in the country's three largest cities, Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, in the face of the threat the coronavirus may spread from the populous provinces towards towns in other parts of Turkey.