A Harry Potter cake and a meeting with her best friends – that’s what Iris Ertekin wanted for her eighth birthday. Now the children whiz across the playground in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district while the parents prepare cakes, snacks and tea on a camping table they have brought with them.
Such a birthday party is not that easy to organize since the new Corona measures have been in place in Turkey. During the week, children and young people under 20 are only allowed to go outside for three hours a day, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Birthday party in times of Corona: only outside and in a tight time window
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“I used to be able to go out whenever I wanted. That was much better,” says Iris, adjusting the blue patterned face mask. “I miss school too. Now everything is done via Zoom – and it’s totally annoying”. The schools in Turkey had only gradually started face-to-face teaching again in September. They have been closed again since the end of November, learning only takes place online.
Lockdown – too soft, too late?
Iris’ mother Gülay tries to organize life as best she can between work and curfew. She is often surprised at how quickly the children have come to terms with the difficult situation. “The kids wear their masks without grumbling, even when they play. They’ve got used to it,” she says. “Only when we look at old photos do we notice that the masks were not always there.” She worries that the corona numbers are also rising sharply in Turkey. “There are corona infections in our circle of friends, there have been cases at school and a relative has also been infected. For a long time, it all felt so far away, but now we are noticing how the virus is getting closer and closer.”
Corona curfews: Children like Iris are only allowed outside for three hours a day
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The exit restrictions for children and young people are not the only new anti-corona measure in Turkey. Seniors over 65 are only allowed to go outside at certain times. In addition, buses and trains are prohibited for young and old people. And for the first time since May, there is a full lockdown on the weekends. Then have to all – with a few exceptions – stay at home. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced a four-day curfew for the New Year.
It looks accordingly bleak these days in the otherwise lively quarters of the 16 million metropolis of Istanbul. Restaurants, bars, lots of shops – closed. Whole streets – orphaned. But the measures come too late, say health experts.
Government corona numbers: only half the story
From July to the end of November, the Turkish government only published the comparatively small number of COVID patients with symptoms. And that’s why many thought: It’s not that bad, the country is getting through the crisis relatively well. In the meantime, the authorities have also announced the number of asymptomatic cases – and many are clear: Turkey is one of the countries in the world worst affected by the coronavirus. The Ministry of Health now reports more than 30,000 new infections per day, more than ever since the beginning of the pandemic.
Closed restaurants and pubs: An abandoned nightlife district in the Kadıköy district
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The official number of daily corona deaths has more than doubled in the past four weeks, to more than 200 now. And the government has also significantly corrected the total number of infections since spring – from around 550,000 at the beginning of December to more now than 1.8 million. Many people in Istanbul feel lied to. “We’re angry about how the government is managing this crisis, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” said a passerby. “The government is primarily concerned with their reputation. They want to look good. That’s why they are so opaque,” says another.
“Hospitals and doctors at the absolute limit”
For months, critics have been accusing the Turkish government of covering up the true extent of the pandemic – primarily to protect the economy. The fact that Ankara has not published full case numbers for a long time has promoted the spread of the virus, recently said the Turkish Medical Association TTB, the largest association of medical professionals in Turkey. They have “lost control of the pandemic”.
Family doctor Emrah Kırımlı is also a member of the Medical Association and has to do with many corona patients. He says the authorities are still glossing over the crisis. “We still have a lot more cases than the government says. I estimate we are 50,000 to 60,000 new infections per day,” said Kırımlı. “The hospitals and intensive care units here in Istanbul are full, there is no more space. Our doctors are at their absolute limit. We urgently need to take radical countermeasures.”
“We need radical countermeasures,” says Istanbul doctor Emrah Kırımlı
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Opposition politicians are also calling for more radical measures to be taken as soon as possible. The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, for example. The number of COVID deaths buried every day in Istanbul alone is almost as high as the number that the government reports for the whole country, he said a few days ago. Ankara rejects that. The measures taken so far have hardly brought anything, “the numbers are not falling,” said Imamoğlu. “We need a complete shutdown”.
In order to stop the spread of the virus, public life in Istanbul has to stand still for two to three weeks, the mayor demands. However, observers do not believe that the government will take this step. President Erdoğan had repeatedly affirmed that they wanted to avert further damage to the Turkish economy.
Eight-year-old Iris from Kadıköy thinks the current measures are tough enough. It’s often boring at home, and nobody knows exactly when their school will open again. Your party is over – the three hours outdoors are over. The children have to go back in. For next year, says Iris, she wants a birthday without corona.
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