Coronavirus cases in Turkey soar while sending aid to other countries

15,679 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 277 deaths as of April 2 are the data left by the COVID-19 virus in Turkey, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. On his Twitter account, the official shared the latest data available to the Turkish government: in the last few hours, 46 people had died from the infection. In addition, the number of tests has increased by more than 15,000 per day: “The number of tests increased by 25.2% since yesterday (Monday),” said the Health Minister, who added that medical teams are identifying positive cases faster and more accurately. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has not imposed a mandatory quarantine, but has advised a “voluntary” one.

However, health officials have repeatedly urged citizens to stay home and respect the rules of social distancing. The president seems to believe that the pandemic will not seriously affect his country, despite the data, and through NATO he has sent an A400M transport plane with 25 tons of masks, disposable gowns and disinfectant gel to Spain. This cooperation operation comes in response to Spain's request for help from the Atlantic Alliance. “At 11:30 (local time) a Turkish air force plane arrived with support from that country in response to the request made to NATO,” explained the head of the Spanish Defence Staff, General Miguel Ángel Villarroya, at a press conference.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Arancha González, thanked Ankara for this gesture via Twitter. Five years ago, the Spanish Army deployed in Adana, on the Turkish-Syrian border, and this gesture would correspond to the help shown by Spain in that area.

Italy has also benefited from the Turkish collaboration. But the Turkish planes carrying material needed to combat the virus, produced by the Ministry of Defence and packed in boxes sealed by the Turkish Presidency, took off when Turkey's main medical union, the Turkish Medical Association, complained about the lack of protection and equipment in hospitals.

On Monday, Erdogan quarantined 41 cities across the country, but has yet to declare a national blockade. International flights have been suspended, as have classes at colleges and universities, and mass prayers are banned, along with the total isolation of those over 65 in their homes. The Turkish president has launched a campaign to raise money for people affected by the pandemic, as well as a new 600-bed hospital in Istanbul to treat people affected by the virus.

According to the Financial Times, Turkey is one of the countries where the coronavirus outbreak is advancing most rapidly. Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul and one of Erdogan's main opponents, urged the president to impose radical restrictions, warning that 15.5 million people live in Istanbul. “I don't even want to think, God help us, about how this pandemic could spread because of those who are still out there,” he told Turkey's Fox News on Monday. In the same position is the mayor of Izmir, Turkey's third largest city.

The Turkish president, in his speech to the nation on Monday night, insisted on his position that the economy must continue to function: “Turkey is a country where production must continue,” in all circumstances and conditions. On the Turkish health system, the president said the country was ready and had good infrastructure, personnel, equipment and number of intensive care beds. “Compared to Europe and the United States, we are one of the countries that will overcome the spread of this disease,” Erdogan said.

Now, on the Turkish scene, the roles seem to have been reversed. If in recent years it has been Erdogan who has shown harshness in his decisions and has therefore been frequently attacked by the opposition, during the coronavirus outbreak the president seems to have opted for a laissez-faire or laissez-faire strategy - reminiscent of Boris Johnson's first stage when the crisis broke out - instead of imposing strict measures for a population of 83 million. 

In this sense, local media have spoken of tensions between members of the government who want stricter measures and those who are concerned about the economic damage that would be caused by the paralysis of the country, in a country that has not yet recovered from the economic crisis of 2018. Much of the tourism sector has closed and most of the car industry has closed, although work continues in some factories and in construction.