President Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey will ease cautiously out of a full lockdown next week and lift restrictions more significantly in June as cases have come down sharply from the peak of a fierce second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Reuters reports.

Erdogan said that a "controlled normalisation calendar" would start on Monday.

"Our intention is to continue to act relatively cautiously until the end of May," he said in a televised address. "As of June, we plan to significantly reduce the measures in a way that will make daily life even more comfortable."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. — Reuters/File
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. — Reuters/File

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...