Government of Turkey

At a recent central executive committee meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AKP), President Recep Tayyip shared plans as to how the normalization process will play out in the period ahead, which foresees the gradual easing of measures that have been introduced to curb the spread of the virus.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has appealed to the Constitutional Court for the annulment of a law that paved the way for the release of 90,000 inmates from prisons on grounds that the bill was not voted properly in parliament.

Turkey has been conducting secret missions in refugee camps and other places in Greece to gather information about critics of the Turkish government and supporters of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who have taken refuge in Greece, according to a publication by the Nordic Monitor website.

The Turkish government has started the third round of a one-time 1,000-Turkish Lira ($143) cash aid to cushion the adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic on households.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the novel coronavirus pandemic is the biggest global crisis since World War II.

"This pandemic, which is basically a health problem, has become the biggest crisis after World War II in terms of its economic results," Erdoğan said, speaking to his party's Central Execution Board meeting via teleconference.

Turkey has kick-started a campaign to train at least 1 million software developers in a project assisted with online courses.

Turkey evacuated 337 citizens from the U.K. on April 20 on a special flight in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

At the instruction of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey decided to bring back nearly 25,000 citizens before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Municipalities run by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will continue to distribute aid to citizens despite facing bans from the government amid the coronavirus pandemic, party spokesperson Faik Öztrak has said.

More than 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, including the Orthodox community in Turkey, with church leaders urging worshippers to stay at home to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.

While many watched services online or on television, some sidestepped virus fears to attend churches on the most important date in the Orthodox calendar.

Turkey produced an indigenous mechanical breathing device, named Sahra, or desert, the national defense minister said on April 17.