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

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