This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
Turkey's Coronavirus Response Raises Questions ¶
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has presented Turkey's performance in handling the coronavirus as one of the world's most successful, but data compiled by The New York Times suggests otherwise.
According to records of deaths in Istanbul, the city recorded about 2,100 more deaths than expected from March 9 to April 12, far more than officials reported for the whole of Turkey during that time.
While not all those deaths are necessarily directly attributable to the coronavirus, the numbers indicate a striking jump in fatalities that has coincided with the onset of the outbreak.
Even by the official count, confirmed cases in Turkey rose to more than 90,000 by Monday, lifting Turkey above China to become the seventh most affected country in the world.
Deaths have reached 2,140, but the government maintains that it acted swiftly, stopping flights and border crossings from five of the most affected countries in February, and closing schools, restaurants, and bars in mid-March.
However, the statistics compiled by The Times show that the damage was done by then, and the government's actions since early February have revealed his priorities.
Mr. Erdogan has repeatedly tried to reassure the population, describing how he eats a spoonful of mulberry molasses every morning to boost the blood, and has avoided ordering a complete nationwide lockdown, which would spell disaster for his presidency.
Instead, he has introduced gradual measures to encourage social distancing, restricted domestic travel, and ordered a curfew for those over 65 and under 20 years old.
Yet the infections have spread, ballooning in Istanbul and Izmir, big cities with international business and tourism connections, as well as in central cities where 6,000 pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia did not always follow self-isolation rules.
Medical professionals warn that Turkey may not have a grip of the spread of the virus, and the Turkish Medical Association has called for more transparency, which would help doctors better understand the disease.
