Advisory Board

An increase in intercity travels in the ongoing three-week school break can trigger a surge in COVID-19 cases similar to the one Turkey experienced during the Eid al-Adha holiday in 2020 summer, Tevfik Özlü from the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board has warned as the hotels in ski resorts and tourism hotspots have started operating at nearly full capacity.

Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu has said his party could consider joining the People Alliance, formed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), only if provided a change to the presidential system.

Turkey is planning to reopen schools from Feb. 15, said the country's education minister on Jan. 17.

"We have made a policy decision on reopening schools as of Feb. 15," Ziya Selçuk said in an interview with CNN Türk on Jan. 17 evening.

Turkey has begun administering nationwide vaccinations against COVID-19 starting with more than 1 million health care workers after authorities approved the emergency use of vaccine developed by China's Sinovac.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and members of the Health Ministry's Science Board were the first ones to receive the shots of the injection live on TV on Jan. 13.

Turkey's winter tourism hotspot, the eastern province of Kars, which is known for the famous Orient Express, is dealing with a tourism setback amid the coronavirus pandemic. The tourism income of the city has decreased by 80 percent.

The number of coronavirus cases in Turkey has been decreasing since the introduction of weekday night curfews and weekend lockdowns, but officials are urging citizens to remain vigilant as the New Year's holiday approaches.

Turkey's Presidential High Advisory Board on Dec. 15 condemned the U.S. unilateral sanctions over Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, said the country's communications director.

The meeting of the board, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, lasted almost one and a half an hour.

Turkey will be among the first countries in the world to begin vaccinating people for the coronavirus, with the first shipment of vaccines it has purchased to arrive in Ankara sometime after Dec. 11, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Dec. 2. 

İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener has said they are in favor of continuing the Nation Alliance, noting the rumors about the government aiming to make changes in the electoral system.

The economic and judicial reforms to improve the investment climate in Turkey will be led by the People's Alliance, composed of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, informing that necessary legislation would soon be brought to the agenda in the parliament.