Will Individuals Under 18 Be Allowed to Travel? Following the cabinet meeting chaired yesterday by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the decisions regarding the normalization process were announced to the public. Measures introduced to combat the coronavirus are being lifted step by step as part of normalization, while many routine activities are gradually resuming. In his statement after the cabinet meeting, President Erdoğan announced that intercity travel restrictions have been lifted. After the removal of those restrictions, a frequent question has been whether individuals under 18 will be permitted to travel.
According to the decisions, with the lifting of the intercity travel ban, children and young people under 18 can now travel accompanied by their parents. The cabinet meeting held on May 28 resulted in several new decisions for the normalization process, many of which have since been implemented. The key decisions made after the May 28, 2020 Thursday cabinet meeting and the most requested details are summarized below.
What Are the Normalization Decisions Following the Cabinet Meeting?
What are the normalization decisions following the cabinet meeting? According to the announcement after the meeting, the measures for the normalization process will begin to take effect on June 1, 2020.
Citizens aged 65 and over who are employed will be exempt from the current restrictions as of Monday, June 1, 2020. Per the circular issued by the Ministry of Interior to the governorates in all 81 provinces regarding restrictions for those under 18 and those 65 and over, business owners who are 65 and older have been exempted from the previous stay-at-home requirement starting June 1, 2020.
The published circular also states that the stay-at-home restriction has been lifted for young people aged 18–20. Individuals born on or before December 31, 2002, are exempt from that restriction.
Young people and children under 18 will be allowed to travel with adults. Under the earlier stay-at-home restrictions, children and young people who had been limited in their movements will now be able to attend daycare centers or nurseries, if needed, accompanied by a caregiver or a family elder. In addition, provided they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, they will be allowed to travel both within cities and between cities.
Citizens aged 65 and over will be permitted to go outside on Sunday, May 31, between 14:00 and 20:00. Children and young people aged 0–18 will be allowed limited outdoor time within walking distance on Wednesday, June 3 and Friday, June 5, between 14:00 and 20:00, provided they observe physical distancing rules and wear masks.