Decisions taken at the cabinet meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were announced today. The main item on this week’s agenda was developments related to the coronavirus outbreak. The President emphasized that our fight against the pandemic continues successfully, but noted that overcoming the outbreak cannot be achieved by one country alone; it must be eliminated worldwide. He also stressed that nothing will return entirely to the way it was before and reminded citizens to make wearing masks a habit whenever they leave home and to wash their hands frequently.
We must prevent new coronavirus cases. Achieving this is in our hands. The normalization schedule can only begin as case numbers decline. If negative developments occur, stricter measures may be necessary. The normalization process will continue step by step.
Four-Day Curfew Across All 81 Provinces During Eid al-Fitr
Within the framework of the Science Board operating under the Ministry of Health, the normalization process will proceed gradually. A schedule for normalization across all sectors has been published, including rules for workplace hours, permitted usage areas and customer limits. A four-day curfew will be enforced nationwide in all 81 provinces on May 23, 24, 25 and 26, covering the Eid al-Fitr holiday period. Travel restrictions have been extended for an additional 15 days.
The 2019–2020 Academic Year Has Ended
The 2019–2020 academic year has officially ended. On Friday, May 29, 2020, mosques that meet the specified conditions will reopen according to arrangements made with provincial offices and muftiates; congregational prayers will be held following the rules in place. The 2020–2021 academic year is scheduled to begin in September. Daycare centers and nurseries will reopen on June 15, 2020. The President also stated that the draw ceremony for the 23rd term of judicial judges and prosecutors will be attended via videoconference.
The President extended congratulations to the nation and to all young people on the occasion of May 19, Youth and Sports Day. He paid respectful tribute to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades who set foot in Samsun 101 years ago and launched the War of Independence. He announced that at 19:19 lights in stadiums across the country will be illuminated and that the national anthem will be broadcast through public address systems. Citizens are invited to sing the National Anthem from their windows at 19:19.