More than 2,000 Turks demonstrated in Istanbul against official coronavirus-related mandates including vaccinations, tests and masks, responding to new government measures and an inoculation push, Reuters reports.

In Turkey's largest such protest, mostly maskless people shouted slogans, held placards and Turkish flags, and sang songs in defence of what they called individual rights, echoing anti-vaccine rallies in some other countries.

"This pandemic is just going on with even more restrictions on our freedoms and there's no end to it," said Erdem Boz, 40, a software developer. "Masks, vaccines, PCR tests might all become mandatory. We're here to voice our discontent with this."

Read more here.

A boy holds a placard as anti-vaccine demonstrators wave Turkish flags during a protest against official coronavirus-related mandates, including vaccinations, tests and masks, in Istanbul, Turkey on September 11. — Reuters
A boy holds a placard as anti-vaccine demonstrators wave Turkish flags during a protest against official coronavirus-related mandates, including vaccinations, tests and masks, in Istanbul, Turkey on September 11. — Reuters

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...