Turkey: New Year ban on some areas to cover foreign tourists

ANKARA

Turkey will close certain streets and squares during the upcoming four-day weekend curfew as part of measures against the spread of coronavirus during the New Year’s Eve celebrations, with the ban also covering foreign tourists, authorities announced on Wednesday.

According to a circular the Interior Ministry sent to the governorships, the famous tourist destinations – including Istiklal Street and Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, July 15 Kizilay National Will Square in the capital Ankara, and Gundogan Square in the western province of Izmir, will be closed from 9 p.m. Dec. 31 until 10 a.m. Jan. 1.

The circular recalled that the weekend curfew will be imposed a day earlier to cover the New Year’s Eve.

The New Year’s curfew will begin at 9 p.m. Thursday, on Dec. 31 and it will end at 5 a.m. Monday, on Jan. 4.

Turkey has been implementing curfew on weeknights and full weekend curfews since Dec. 5 as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.