Speaking after a cabinet … Amid a spike in the number of coronavirus cases across Turkey, Istanbul instituted a lockdown, following in the footsteps of many other European countries grappling with another wave. Outside a cafe, a man dressed in a sultan costume tried to lure patrons with the promise of fresh pastries and socially distant indoor seating. Turkish essential workers were allowed to proceed, as were tourists. “We’ve got to just be brave and live as normal as we can,” she added, as a group of tourists lined up behind her to take selfies in front the Ortakoy mosque. "They risk their life because it's cheap. The country is currently reporting over 30,000 new infections a day, and the number of deaths from the coronavirus has more than doubled in the last three weeks. Tourists had the Harem section of the Topkapi Palace to themselves, save for the guards. Hotel restaurants were allowed to remain open, but only to hotel guests. Turkey's COVID-19 death toll reached 4,397 as of Tuesday after 28 new deaths were reported in 24 hours, according to the country's health minister. “Everybody makes such a fuss about the virus, but most people who have had it are fine,” she said, as she fed a stray dog the leftovers of her chicken kebab wrap. "Honestly, it doesn't make sense," he said of the partial lockdown. Turkey is seeing a massive surge in coronavirus cases and is tightening its lockdown. Much of Europe is currently under some form of lockdown. They just want more money," he told Insider, adding that the more Turkey struggles financially the more reckless the government is getting. As much as he appreciates the government's attempt at keeping the tourism economy going, he thinks it's ill-advised. While some Turks welcomed the two-tier curfew system, saying it was good for the economy, others felt it was inappropriate for tourists to be gallivanting around the city while locals bear the brunt of a grueling second wave of the virus. She also said that in her experience, most locals did not seem resentful of tourists, and seemed supportive of the government's actions. However, he has observed that many of them refuse to wear masks and comply with local coronavirus precautions, which is a huge problem. Leere Brücke in Istanbul: In der Türkei gelten am Wochenende nun strenge Ausgangsbeschränkungen . Subscriber Data from Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism shows that the number of foreign visitors to Turkey shrunk by over 72% between January and October 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. Reply to: Istanbul shops during lockdown. "People are not happy," he told Insider. Get answers to your questions about Istanbul . But foreign tourists are exempt from the order, meaning that they were free to see the sights, walk the streets and ride the ferries across the Bosporus, even as residents were compelled to stay home. Since Turkey doesn't ask tourists to provide negative coronavirus test results, and with most hospitals at capacity, he worries about these tourists straining already limited resources. [...] While it seems to many that I have taken unnecessary risk during such a period, I believe that my experiences have been worth it," she said. "The government actually doesn't care about COVID-19. Istanbuls Oberbürgermeister Ekrem Imamoglu fordert den totalen Lockdown. Istanbul’s mayor called on Saturday for a lockdown of at least two weeks to contain an “out of control” rise in coronavirus cases, and said virus-related deaths in the city alone outstrip reported nationwide figures. As Istanbul slowly emerges from lockdown, elderly couples are strolling the Bosphorus once again. Looking out at the silhouette of the old city’s minarets from the top of the Galata Tower, Ms. Kalachinov’s husband, Denis, said he felt safer in Turkey than at home in Russia, where few people wear masks and all businesses are open as usual. Istanbul, Ankara and other major Turkish cities locked down for two days from midnight on Friday to combat the spread of the coronavirus under an Interior Ministry order, as the country's death toll from the pandemic rose above 1,000. “I feel safe because I have antibodies,” said Bagrta Kalachinov, a 36-year-old visitor from Moscow. On Sunday, foreign tourists visited Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, while Turkish residents were prohibited from going out because of growing numbers of cases of Covid-19. Ms. Lockhart decided to travel to Istanbul last week to meet up with her American boyfriend because it was one of the few cities that they could both fly to directly without having to quarantine. It also doesn't apply to tourists. “I’m happy for tourists to visit my country, but when hospitals are full and people are dying, this is not an appropriate time to be adventurous,” said Tulin Polat, 26, who was laid off from her waitressing job because of the new lockdown measures. Alexandré Worthington, a 28-year-old realtor from Gainesville, Florida, chose Istanbul because it's one of few destinations that allow Americans to enter and doesn't require a quarantine. Despite an effort to salvage the industry with the creation this summer of a healthy tourism certification program, designed to ensure that travel and hospitality sectors met the government’s health and hygiene requirements, arrivals were down by 86 percent in July, compared to the same period in 2019. Your message. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) says Ankara must enforce a complete lockdown on the city, saying there are still too many people on the streets. Hotels also offered indoor and outdoor dining for visitors. Le Figaro correspondent Delphine Minoui describes an eerie "end of the world" feel as the Covid-19 lockdown hushes the normal bustle of Turkey's largest city Istanbul. A weekend lockdown imposed in Istanbul means that locals must stay at home – but the rules don’t apply to tourists. Still, she does admit that the partial lockdown makes her feel unsafe since there's potential for people who have the virus to continue walking the streets and spreading it. A few locals Insider spoke to did say it was important to keep the struggling tourism sector afloat: according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, 9.4% of Turkey's total employment is tourism-related. Snow blanketed Istanbul, Turkey, on Feb. 15, as the city was in the midst of a COVID-19 lockdown, which was expected to last several days. The New York Times reports that most museums stayed open for visitors. The European Union’s travel commission said it did not track whether tourists were being exempted in other cities. “This year has been a complete write-off, especially for Istanbul,” said Cuneyt Uygur, a Turkish tour guide based in the city. Bagrta and Denis Kalachinov, visitors from Moscow, took in the view from the Galata Tower. It depends on how satisfied they are when they return home.”. Dr. Preeti Malani, chief health officer and professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan, told Insider he suspects the current lockdown policies are an attempt to keep Turkey's tourism industry afloat. Yet the atmosphere and the energy of Istanbul were severely dampened by the weekend curfew, with shuttered restaurants and shops and locals confined to their homes. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Travel industry workers were trying to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the curfew exemption for tourists. In Russia, mask requirements and curfews were only recently instituted. Restaurants and shops were closed, but tourists had Istanbul’s streets almost to themselves. “You almost expect to get punished for traveling these days with all the shaming and ever-changing restrictions, but here we are with exclusive access to one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities of the world,” said Erin Lockhart, a 32-year-old British musician, as she played her guitar against the backdrop of the glistening Bosporus that stood as still as a pond in the absence of regular boat traffic. Foreign tourists posed against the backdrop of the Ortakoy Mosque as the Turkish police stood guard. While the US Embassy and Consulates in Turkey said that while tourists are checked for symptoms on arrival, and must self-isolate if suspected of having COVID-19, Turkey does not require negative coronavirus test results, nor does it make quarantine mandatory. Die Türkei verzeichnet einen der allerhöchsten Corona-Inzidenzwerte weltweit. For most visitors, the call to prayer, which echoes through the city five times a day, is likely indistinguishable from the somber funeral prayers that are broadcast all too often as the pandemic has raged in recent weeks. Nearly 5,000 students in 73 schools across Istanbul were expected to start face-to-face classes as of Feb. 15 but the decision has been postponed, Ali Yerlikaya said in a statement. The majority of tourists currently visiting the city are young and adventurous, Mr. Uygur said, expressing concern that they might get restless with so many of the city’s attractions closed off. "Especially in my case, I had a guide and he couldn't take me to many parts of the city. For many, the decision to travel to Turkey was triggered by lockdown fatigue. Health screening and temperature checks are carried out at airports and anybody found to have Covid-19 symptoms is taken to a medical facility for testing. April, a 27-year-old financial analyst, spent three days in Istanbul on her way home to Singapore. However, he pointed out that tourists "do not spend time in a vacuum.". Get it now on Libro.fm using the button below. On Saturday and Sunday plainclothes police officers patrolled the streets and police set up checkpoints across different districts to check the ID cards and passports of people traveling through, one by one. Anyone found breaking the lockdown was fined around 3,150 Turkish lira, or the equivalent of $400 at today's conversion rates. Confinement in Istanbul … "As to whether my decision is worth it, I personally believe that life is all about weighing the risks and making the appropriate choices. Read our community guidelines. “It is amazing to see all the exhibitions without any crowds. Amid a spike in the number of coronavirus cases across Turkey, Istanbul instituted a lockdown, following in the footsteps of many other European countries grappling with another wave. She previously spent some time in London and Finland, where her boyfriend lives. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/travel/istanbul-tourists-curfew.html “It’s not your average holiday, but it’s cool to just be able to roam about a city with so few people in it and sit in the sunshine with a beer and a snack,” said Mandy Miller, a 26-year-old student from London, who traveled to Turkey for a week with her boyfriend without telling her family and friends. Nov 16, 2020 Turkey’s overloaded medical sector appealed to the government for a total lockdown of the country for a minimum of two weeks up to a month to control the spike in COVID-19 cases all across the country, particularly in its biggest and most affected city. You feel like a V.I.P. Citizens will not be allowed to leave home between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays or at all at weekends, Erdogan said. “It’s certainly a unique experience to have a city to yourself,” said Marc Heroux, a 48-year-old French financial analyst, who spent the day exploring museums with a friend visiting from Germany. She advised tourists to carry their passports with them, because of the frequent checkpoints she encountered. The country’s tourism sector is poised to shrink by 70 percent this year, bringing in 15 million visitors and more than $11 billion in revenue, a steep drop from the 45 million visitors and $35 billion in revenue in 2019, according to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. "At the beginning, I was a little fearful, but I decided that I would probably regret not taking this opportunity when it is available to me, hence I decided to just go for it," she told Insider, adding that she took every available precaution to stay safe. "People are not happy that the tourists are coming here because they're bringing lots more cases," he said, adding that Turkey is hurting economically, and desperately needs the income. ", Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, one of few destinations that allow Americans, According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Istanbul goes under COVID-19 lockdown; travel restrictions placed for 31 provinces Coronavirus in Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier … December saw a record number of new cases, with over 30 times the average number of daily reported cases than in previous months. He said that the mostly Russian and Eastern European tourists visiting Istanbul do it because they don't really have many other options amid travel bans. 2 min read ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Istanbul's mayor called on Saturday for a lockdown of at least two weeks to contain an …