Turkey
Travel restrictions
On June 11th, Turkey announced opening the majority of its international air, land, and sea borders. However, the border with Iran and Syria remains closed.
Passengers arriving in Turkey will be required to complete an information form and will be checked for symptoms. Anyone suspected of having COVID-19 will be transported to a hospital for examination.
Beginning December 30th, 2020 all international passengers aged 6 years and older traveling to Turkey are required to have taken a COVID-19 PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours prior to their flight. Passengers must submit their test results to the airline at the time of check-in. Passengers failing to submit a negative PCR test will not be permitted to board the flight to Turkey. This requirement will remain in effect until March 1st, 2021.
Turkish Ministry of Health officials screen travelers at airports and maritime ports, as well as some land crossings, using thermal cameras; and travelers with temperatures will be subject to public health requirements, which may include mandatory hospital stay and/or testing that results in hospital quarantine.
Effective Monday, December 21st, all flights to and from the United Kingdom, Denmark, and South Africa have been temporarily suspended by Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
In addition to the requirement of presenting a negative test result done in the last 72 hours, those who have arrived in Turkey from the UK, Denmark and South Africa in the past 10 days will be asked to present a negative test result done within the past 72 hours, and also will be required to quarantine in where they are staying.
Measures taken by the government
On May 4th, President Erdogan announced initial steps to reduce restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
On September 8th, the Turkish Interior Ministry issued a notice to the public regarding new COVID restrictions/guidance. Violators will be issued fines. The new restrictions are as follows:
- Face masks must be worn in public (e.g., streets, gardens, workplaces, etc.) at all times in all 81 provinces of Turkey.
- Standing passengers will not be allowed in urban public transportation vehicles where physical distance rules cannot be applied.
- The playing of live music at restaurants and cafes after midnight is forbidden.
As of October 15th, the Government of Turkey requires everyone living in Turkey to present a Hayat Eve Sigar (HES) code while staying in hotels, using inner city public transport, and at inter-city bus travel rest stops. Some airlines are also requiring a HES code for residents and foreign travelers attempting to purchase airline tickets for domestic and/or international travel.
Information on how to obtain this HES code is available at: https://hayatevesigar.saglik.gov.tr/index-eng.html
On November 17th, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced a series of additional measures to combat COVID-19 in Turkey. The following new restrictions will go into effect at 8pm on Friday November 20th, 2020 in all provinces:
- Dining establishments such as restaurants, patisseries, cafes, and cafeterias will no longer be open for in-person dining.
- Shopping malls, supermarkets, barbers and hairdressers will only be open for service between 10am and 8pm.
- Movie theaters, soccer fields, coffee houses, tea gardens, internet/electronic game halls and billiard halls, are suspended.
- All education and training activities for public schools will continue via distance education through December 31st. Parents of school age children in private institutions should contact their respective schools for specific information on how this restriction impacts their institution.
- As of December 4th, Turkish citizens and residents are subject to a weekend curfew beginning 9 p.m. on Friday, continuing through 5 a.m. on Monday. Additionally, there is a nightly curfew between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., Monday through Friday.
In a televised address on December 14th, President Erdogan announced that Turkey will impose a four day curfew from 9:00 p.m. on December 31th, 2020 through 5:00 a.m. on January 4th, 2021.The previously announced curfews and bans on gathering in public places remain in effect.
Foreigners in the country temporarily for tourism are exempt from curfews and travel permit requirements.
Emergency number (related to COVID-19) while visiting the country
Dial 184 within Turkey to access the Turkish Ministry of Health COVID-19 Telephone Hotline (Turkish/English/Arabic).
Source:
US Embassy in Turkey https://tr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information-2/
Published on January 19th (checked on January 20th)
For more information please visit our COVID-19 Updates page at https://www.hiddentrails.com/article/covid19update.aspx