Recep

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on May 18 that a four-day lockdown starting on May 23 would be imposed nationwide as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus during the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday.

The Turkish government has set price caps for coach services between the country's cities based on the distance traveled.
According to the decision published in the Official Gazette, the maximum bus fare for a trip up to 115 kilometers in distance will be 100 Turkish Liras (or around $14) while travelers will be charged 130 liras for up to a 250-kilometer trip.

Turkey has set the standards for the production of washable cloth masks, an important step amid the coronavirus normalization process.

The Turkish Standards Institute (TSE), which published the new regulations on its website late on May 11 said Turkey was the third country in the world to do so.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish authorities said on May 11.

A total of 240 Turkish nationals were repatriated on May 11 from the West African nations of Ivory Coast and Liberia as part of a government initiative amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A specially arranged Turkish Airlines flight landed in Istanbul.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 9 visited the construction sites of field hospitals that are being built in Istanbul as part of the government's efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Turkey will not let the weakening of the Turkish industry due to the pandemic as the country will implement policies to keep it alive, the industry and technology minister said on May 7.

A Turkish national working in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) whose son was hospitalized due to an accident in eastern Turkey requested permission to travel back amid coronavirus travel restrictions.

Turkey on May 5 repatriated one of its nationals who is suffering from the coronavirus but was unable to get treatment in Sudan.

Mehmet Hanefi Aydın, 55, was sent home from a hospital in Sudan although he tested positive for the virus.

Aydın returned from Khartoum via an ambulance plane after his children pleaded for help on social media.

Being self-sufficient in medical equipment is as important as being so in the defense industry, and being a strong country in the provision chain will be one of Turkey's many advantages, Omer Celik, spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) said on May 5.