Turkey's NYE ban on some areas to include foreign tourists

Turkey will close certain streets and squares during the upcoming four-day curfew as part of measures against the spread of COVID-19 during the New Year’s Eve celebrations, with the ban also covering foreign tourists. The famous touristic squares of Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir will also be closed.

Wednesday December 30 2020 04:09 pm

Duvar English - Anadolu Agency

Turkey will close certain streets and squares during the upcoming four-day weekend curfew as part of measures against the spread of coronavirus during the New Year’s Eve celebrations, with the ban also covering foreign tourists, authorities announced on Dec. 30.

According to a circular the Interior Ministry sent to the governorships, the famous tourist destinations – including Istiklal Avenue and Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Kızılay Square in the capital Ankara, and Gündoğan Square in the Aegean province of İzmir, will be closed from 9 p.m. Dec. 31 until 10 a.m. Jan. 1.

The circular recalled that the weekend curfew will be imposed a day earlier to cover the New Year’s Eve.

The New Year’s curfew will begin at 9 p.m. on Dec. 31 and it will end at 5 a.m. on Jan. 4.

Turkey has been implementing curfew on weeknights and full weekend curfews since Dec. 5 as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.