Presidential spokesperson says it's not possible to state when coronavirus measures will be lifted in Turkey

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Turkish Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın has said that it's not possible to state when the measures imposed against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be lifted, contradicting earlier remarks by two government officials.

"No one has the possibility of saying that the coronavirus pandemic will end and measures will be lifted at a certain date based on a mathematical certainty when such an outbreak is ongoing. We need to be careful," Kalın said in an interview on April 22, adding that the measures will continue to be implemented strictly.

Kalın's statements are in contrast with the remarks of Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Ömer Çelik, who said that gradual normalization may begin after Eid al-Fitr, which ends on May 26.

"The more we abide by the precautions, the faster we will get rid of the pandemic. We're thinking of lifting limitations gradually," Çelik told reporters on April 21, adding that normalization can begin if the measures are followed by everyone.

Earlier, Koca said on April 17 that a peak will be reached in 10 days, which will be followed by a plateau for two weeks if no major fluctuations take place. The three weeks after that will start to see a decrease in the number of cases, he said.

During the interview, Kalın said that the course of the pandemic will reach a more controllable point if the measures are continued to be abided by.

"The more we implement these measures meticulously, the more we'll get over it. That's when normalization would begin gradually. Our president laid out a schedule. It's not definite, but he said, 'If the measures are abided by, we can see a normalization process with Eid al-Fitr.' This shouldn't lead us to lethargy. We need to be careful," he said.