ANKARA: Turkey has entered its first full weekend lockdown since May after coronavirus
infections and deaths hit record highs in recent days.
The country of 83 million people on Friday recorded 32,736 new cases, including asymptomatic ones, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic in March.
The total death toll rose by 193 on Friday, touching a daily record level seen earlier this week, to 14,509.
Turkish television showed largely empty squares and streets on Saturday in the largest city Istanbul, the capital Ankara and the third largest city Izmir, with only a few people and vehicles out and about.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was quoted as saying by state-owned Anadolu news agency that most people were obeying the lockdown rules.
Turkey now ranks fourth globally for the number of daily new cases, behind only the United States, India and Brazil – all countries with far larger populations than Turkey.
For four months, Turkey only reported daily symptomatic cases,…
