Full COVID-19 lockdown adds to financial strain in Turkey

ISTANBUL (AP) — As cases and deaths soar, Turkey’s president has instructed people to stay home for nearly three weeks and shut down many businesses as part of the country's strictest COVID-19 measures yet.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not announce a stimulus package to offset the economic impact of the new restrictions. With Turkey's double digit inflation, sinking national currency and businesses in trouble, many Turks already have been struggling financially.

Gozde Aslan, a newspaper seller in Istanbul, said the lockdown would be difficult to weather.

“We have to bring food to our homes, and we live in a period where everything is very expensive,” she said. “May God help us.”

Erdogan announced Monday that a “full lockdown” would begin Thursday and last until May 17. Residents will be required to stay home except for grocery shopping and other essential needs, while intercity travel only will be allowed with permission. Restaurants are allowed to deliver food.

Some businesses and industries will be exempt from the shutdown, including factories, agriculture, health care and supply chain and logistics companies. The Interior Ministry also published a list of exempt individuals, who include parliament members, health care workers, law enforcement officers and many others. Tourists are also exempt from the round-the-clock curfew.

Aslan’s husband and business partner, Baris, said the Turkish government's decision came late but was correct. He added: “It’s a very difficult decision for the shopkeepers, for the working people. For this, the state should provide great assistance.”

Earlier this month, Erdogan announced an extension of short labor payments for registered workers whose hours were cut due to pandemic restrictions. Some payments previously were made to...