New Updates:

On Tuesday, April 13, 2021, the Government of Turkey announced partial restrictions for the month of Ramadan and Bayram April 14-May 17, 2021. These restrictions will be reviewed and updated in two weeks if necessary.

All other restrictions previously announced by the Government of Turkey remain in effect.

• Weekday Curfews: Monday through Friday weekday curfews are now 7:00 pm until 5:00 am.
• Weekend Curfews: Beginning Fridays at 7:00 pm and continuing until Monday mornings at 5:00 am.
  • On Saturday and Sunday during the curfew, you may go to the nearest supermarket, bakery, green grocer, and butcher between 10:00 am -5:00 pm. Those aged 65 and over and under the age of 18 are not allowed to go to the markets.
• Tourists/Non-Citizens:
  • Foreign travelers who are in the country for short trips and tourism are exempt from the curfews.
  • Foreigners who are in the country as residents, under protected status, or international status, are subject to the curfew restrictions.
• Age-Specific Curfews:
  • Citizens aged 65 and over will be able to go out between 10:00 am -2:00 pm, but young people and children under the age of 18 are not allowed outside during this period.
  • During the weekday and weekend curfew, those aged 65 and over and young people under 18 and children will not be allowed to use public transportation vehicles (metro, metrobus, bus, minibus, minibus, etc.).
• Dining Establishments:
  • Food and beverage places in lodging facilities (hotel, motel, apart hotel, hostel, etc.), will only serve guests, with a maximum of two people per table.
  • Until midnight on Sunday night, May 16, 2021, dining establishments are only open for take-away.
• Other Establishments:
  • The services of the following establishments will be suspended temporarily until Monday, May 17, 2021:
  • Soccer fields, swimming pool, gym, beauty center, hair salon/barber, Turkish bath and sauna, amusement and theme parks.
  • Coffee houses, clubs, tea gardens
  • Internet cafés, game and billiard halls
• Inter-city Travel
  • Inter-city travel that does not meet the requirements below will only be allowed with public transportation (i.e., plane, bus, train, ship) and not private vehicles. Those that meet the requirements may also use private vehicles. The requirement is met if:
  • Have been discharged from hospital and are returning to their residence
  • Medical appointments and referred by a doctor.
  • Need to attend the funeral of a deceased first-degree relative (i.e., father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter) or to accompany the transfer of remains (maximum four people).
  • Have come to a given city within the last five days but do not have a place to stay and want to return to their place of residence (must have valid travel ticket, vehicle license plate, or other documents showing their travel, and information).
  • Checkpoints will be established at all entrances and exits of cities to ensure those traveling by private vehicles are within the scope of exemption and those who do not have a valid reason/exemption will not be allowed to travel between cities.
  • Please go to the link below for the full list of curfew restrictions: https://www.icisleri.gov.tr/81-il-valiligine-kismi-kapanma-genelgesi-gonderildi

Actions to Take:

• Carry identity and travel documents with you at all times.
• Comply with local authorities at checkpoints.
• Review local resources for more information:
  • Turkish Ministry of Health COVID-19
  • Turkish Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Turkish Presidency’s interactive COVID-19 web page
• Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19  for information on conditions in Turkey.

By U.S. Mission Turkey | 16 April, 2021 | Topics: Alert, Security & Emergency Messages