© 2 0 2 1 GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Global Pandemic of the Century | Türkiye’s Successful Fight against Coronavirus ISBN: 978-625-7377-02-7 Contact Kızılırmak Mahallesi Mevlana Bulv. No:144 Çukurambar Ankara/TÜRKİYE T +90 312 590 20 00 | webinfo@iletisim.gov.tr Prestij Grafik Rek. ve Mat. San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti. T +90 212 489 40 63, İstanbul Matbaa Sertifika No: 45590 Print Publication Certificate No: 45482 2nd edition, İstanbul – 2021 © 2021 PUBLICATIONS BY PRESIDENCY’S DIRECTORATE OF COMMUNICATIONS © 2 0 2 1 GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 1. A QUICK REVIEW OF THE YEAR GONE BY 21 2. TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY and INVESTMENTS 33 3. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS 67 3.1. Inclusive Health Services 67 3.2. Supports and Measures for Economic Stability 115 3.3. Protection of Work and Social Life 133 3.4. Continuous and Distance Education 145 3.5. Continuity of Justice Services 191 3.6. Controlled Social Life and Inspection 201 3.7. Steps to Support the Industry 219 3.8. Measures in the fields of Transport and Communication 227 3.9. Agriculture Friendly Regulations 243 3.10. Contact-free and Non-stop Trade 253 3.11. Safe Tourism and Incentives 273 3.12. Complementary Works in the fields of Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports 285 3.13. Religious Services during the Pandemic Period 317 3.14. Scientific Studies, Projects and Publications 337 4. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC 363 5. COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 437 6. TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA 469 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S INTRODUCTION 09 FOREWORD 17 GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 6 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Türkiye’s Successful Fig INTRODUCTION | 7 ght Against Coronavirus TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 8 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS INTRODUCTION | 9 W e have been severely challenged as a country regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, which is the biggest crisis humankind has faced in modern times. Although the pandemic has gone on for a year and has not yet ended, we have made substantial progress thanks to our nation’s perseverance, self-sacrifice, and faith. Last year, many health systems, particularly those of some countries in Europe and the USA, which are considered developed countries, collapsed, and patients were even treated in hospital corridors. Unfortunately, many people lost their lives. As a nation, Türkiye has taken all measures during this period; we have carried out our work meticulously, and we have built modern hospitals that will fight off this disease, which the world has had difficulty coping with. First of all, we have implemented a science-based management process for battling the pandemic. The Coronavirus Scientific Board was established on January 10, 2020, two months before the first case was seen in our country. Thus, we started to monitor and evaluate the pandemic globally with a board composed of I N T R O D U C T I O N 10 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS experts on the subject. As the government, we accepted and implemented many of the recommendations made by this scientific board during times when the disease incidence was at its peak. As we grasped how serious the situation was at an early stage and took the necessary measures, we were able to delay the entry of the outbreak to Türkiye as long as possible. However, since the pandemic was first seen in our country, we have carried out extensive work in almost every area. While many countries of the world, unfortunately, were suffering from the pandemic, we mobilised all kinds of opportunities to protect our citizens, both at home and abroad, against it. In this context, we steadily evacuated our citizens who live abroad and wanted to return to their country during the days when the pandemic caused great fear and countries’ health systems collapsed. During this process, which was recorded as the largest-scale evacuation operation in the history of the Republic, we ensured the return of our citizens from 142 different countries. In addition, 368 of our citizens who were ill were brought to Türkiye by air ambulance, no matter where they were in the world. Thanks to the health investments we have made during our term of administration, there has been no disruption in healthcare services during the pandemic. However, we were not satisfied with this, and as one of the two countries in the world that could achieve this, we built two large pandemic hospitals, each with a capacity of 1,008 beds, in as short as 45 days. In addition to this, during the pandemic, we inaugurated a total of 16 large hospitals in different cities of Türkiye by December 2020. The city hospitals in Istanbul, Konya, and Tekirdağ have lifted our country’s healthcare infrastructure to a very high level. Thanks to the hospitals and healthcare facilities we opened in the last year, the total number of health facilities offering services in Türkiye increased by 55 per cent. All types of machines and devices required for our hospitals to fight the Covid-19 pandemic were provided without delay. Many INTRODUCTION | 11 of them began to be produced locally. For instance, we have shown our support to our own citizens as well as to countries that needed ventilators, especially vital for intensive care patients during Covid-19 treatment, by producing them domestically. During this period, we have exported approximately 4,000 ventilators labelled “Made in Türkiye” to 20 countries. We have made extraordinary efforts in the public and private sectors to produce materials which are indispensable for the fight against Covid-19 and which many countries lacked, such as masks, face shields, gloves, and protective suits. Every citizen and every institution, ranging from the Ministry of Health to military factories under the Ministry of National Defence, from youth at the Youth Centres under the Ministry of Youth and Sports to students in the technical schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and to prisoners and convicts working in workshops under the Ministry of Justice have joined the effort to produce these materials in a spirit of mobilisation. By accomplishing this huge production operation, we have not only met the need in our country but also delivered these vital hygiene materials to many countries around the world. Türkiye, inspired by Rumi’s words, has sent aid supplies to the whole world. We have provided aid to 157 countries in total, 44 of which are in Africa, 43 in Europe, 33 in Asia, 22 in the Americas, and 15 in Oceania, according to their specific needs. Regardless of their continent, religion, or status as a developed or underdeveloped country, we have provided aid to these 157 countries, among which are the USA, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Norway, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Belgium, Brazil, and Cuba. Today, our intensive domestic vaccine research continues in Türkiye’s Vaccine Institute and Clinical Research Centre. We have already supported 16 domestic vaccine projects in Türkiye, and six of them have passed to the phase stage. When these vaccine trials, which have reached the final phase are concluded, we will be a helping hand reaching out to the world, just like our support providing ventilators and medical equipment. 12 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS As it is a global pandemic and similarly affects all countries, Covid-19 has brought about a global economic contraction. Almost every country in the world has been affected by this crisis in economic terms, like a domino effect. However, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, our country showed the second highest growth globally, with growth performance of 5.9 per cent in the last quarter of 2020. Of course, being a country that has grown its economy in the global economic system, while the USA shrank by 2.5 per cent, Spain by 9 per cent, the UK by 7.8 per cent, and France by 5 per cent, is a valuable result that we have achieved together with our nation. Undoubtedly, the measures we have taken, the incentives and supports we have provided, and our nation’s efforts lie behind this growth. Türkiye has rapidly taken all measures in the economic domain as well as in the domain of health. At the very beginning of the pandemic, we announced the Economic Stability Shield package to the public on March 18, 2020. After the Economic Stability Shield Package was implemented, we continued to take additional measures at different points, taking into account the course of the pandemic and the needs of households. We have implemented many measures and incentives to meet the needs of all economic actors, especially SMEs from every sector, tradespeople, artisans, industrialists, and business operators. You will see all the details of our work in the domain of economics in this book. Our work will continue according to current needs. We have put forward many measures and supports to eliminate the pandemic’s adverse effects on work life and social life. In this context, the total amount of the resources we transferred directly to citizens through the Social Protection Shield package covering all citizens in all processes from the individual to the family, from the family to society, had exceeded 53 billion TL as of March 1, 2021. Many incentives, supports, grants, and aid practices have been implemented during this period, ranging from short-term working allowances to prohibition of dismissal, from cash wage support to unemployment premiums, from normalisation support to compensatory work, from rapid INTRODUCTION | 13 return to work incentives to employment support, from insurance premium postponement to SSI debt restructuring, from rearrangement of pensions to the implementation of incapacity allowance within the scope of Covid-19, from a project for accommodation of the homeless to the National Solidarity Campaign, “We are self-sufficient, Türkiye”. All types of needs of citizens over 65 and those with chronic illnesses have been met by VEFA Social Support Groups all over Türkiye. The spirit of solidarity demonstrated by our public personnel, police units, and non-governmental organisations who have provided services to our elderly citizens is undoubtedly one of the most important values that makes us who we are. With this spirit of solidarity, unity, and benevolence, we have overcome the depression caused by the pandemic that nearly destroyed morale in the early days. This period in which our nation joined hands with the state showed the whole world how the unprecedented sense of conscience is still alive in these lands. During the pandemic period, we have quickly taken the necessary steps in terms of controlled social life and supervision in order to prevent an increase in case numbers. Within the scope of Covid-19, we have sent a total of 222 circulars/ directives/letters, 34 of which address borders and 188 about domestic issues, to 81 Provincial Governorates and related institutions and organisations. All these instructions have been implemented to make many areas of our social life compliant with pandemic conditions in order to reduce the course of the disease and to eliminate it. Several arrangements, from curfew restrictions to grocery shopping arrangements, from limiting participants at weddings, meetings, and events in accordance with pandemic conditions, to a set of rules to be applied in restaurants and similar businesses, have been implemented. I express my heartfelt thanks for all my citizens’ patience and the support they have shown in the face of these restrictions, which are essential measures in the fight against the disease and for which we received the utmost support from our beloved nation. Within the scope of the measures taken after the first case was detected in Türkiye, we have suspended face-to-face 14 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS education and introduced a distance education model. We, as a state, were one of the first countries in the world to pioneer distance education. We have implemented a system that could set an example for other states from the very first day. We have maintained the education process by prioritising the health of our students and their families. To reduce the risk of the coronavirus transmitting to judicial personnel and citizens, we have taken radical and decisive measures in judiciary services without delay. We have ensured the necessary infrastructure for short-term delays and many remote proceedings. We have also taken the necessary steps in the industrial sector to maintain production and economic life and to avoid interrupting the supply chain and social life. As well as providing sectorial support, we also increased incentives for new projects to meet new needs based on changing priorities. We have provided 48 million TL in support to 63 projects in the public and private sectors, universities, and non-governmental organisations within the scope of the “Resistance and Resilience against Covid-19” program, which we declared on March 31, 2020. Before Covid-19 began to affect our country, we quickly made preparations in agriculture and food supply. We have taken the necessary measures at the highest level at every stage, from the procurement of raw material by food companies to product deliveries. In this process, product stocks were constantly checked by our relevant organisations, inspections for ensuring hygiene conditions were tightened, and strict follow-up practices were carried out to prevent price increases. Furthermore, we have attached great importance to taking the necessary precautions in the domain of trade. We have made many arrangements and provided financial support to protect all actors in commercial life and our citizens’ needs. As the state, we have implemented several initiatives to minimise the impact of this period on our foreign trade. Türkiye has led the way in many tourism practices, setting an example all around the world, to strengthen our position as the most-preferred-country and leaving our competitors INTRODUCTION | 15 behind. We have provided comprehensive measures, including financing and promotional support to the sector, in particular by offering “Safe Tourism” to our visitors. We have maintained our state’s promotional activities without slowing down during the Covid-19 period. We have hosted world-famous events such as Formula 1. We have gone through a better 2020 than rival countries in terms of tourism. As a matter of fact, the number of tourists visiting our country in 2020 was approximately 16 million. The pandemic has negatively affected the domain of culture and the arts in our country as it has all over the world. We have exerted all kinds of efforts to minimise the problems in the domain of culture and the arts in both the public and private sectors. During the Covid-19 period, we have meticulously ensured that our citizens properly benefit from religious services. We have taken the necessary measures in order to perform worship practices in a proper, safe, and healthy manner and in a way that observes the rights of those who request services. There have always been great crises, dangers, diseases, pandemics, poverty, problems, and trouble that humanity has overcome in history. Humanity has passed on the experiences gained while dealing with all these problems to future generations. Today, the world is trying to cope with a virus called Covid-19, despite its state-of-the-art technology, scientific advances, and thousands of years of knowledge and experience. Healthcare systems are collapsing, economies are falling apart, people’s psychology and almost all habits are being reshaped, there is a breakdown in trust between states and their citizens, and people feel desperate. Contrary to the desperate and exhausted state of the world, Türkiye has set the most potent example of solidarity between the state and the nation. As children, the elderly, men, and women, no one hesitates to fulfil the responsibilities that fall to them. As a state, we implement many measures and supports that serve as examples to the world, faster and stronger than ever before. We have the means to bring every single citizen back to our country 16 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS from the other side of the world. We strive to pass through these days without denying the existence of problems but refreshing our hope every time the sun rises. We are experiencing one of the most valuable outcomes of our Presidential System of Government. We implement proactive, flexible, and effective policies with the coordination and governance capacity ensured by the Presidential System of Government. As we succeeded in distinguishing Türkiye in a positive way from many countries, we have shown the whole world that Türkiye is prepared for all kinds of different scenarios and is able to act quickly. We have evolved Türkiye from a state desperately demanding aid from developed countries into a confident and strong state that can help 157 other countries. The aid supplies emblazoned with our glorious flag, the symbol of our independence, convey our friendship, affection, conscientious approach, and efforts to ensure human dignity to every corner of the world. Thanks to our nation’s perseverance and self-sacrifice, we are passing through one of the most challenging periods in human history with less distress. I have no doubt that after a year of sorrow for our losses, we will reach a new hope, healthy days, and a new future in unity and solidarity. In the service of its nation, the State of the Republic of Türkiye will work with all its might for a country where future generations will be proud of their ancestors. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN FOREWORD | 17 I n the last year, we have witnessed one of the most profound crises in the history of humanity. The Covid-19 pandemic, which was one of the rare events that have affected the whole world, both developed and under-developed, north and south, rich and poor countries, has already left detrimental effects, the consequences of which concerned human life, health, the economy, trade, politics, psychology, and sociology. While some countries have failed to an unexpected extent in this pandemic, which will affect the coming decades, other countries have set an example to the world with the spirit of unity and solidarity. Türkiye has taken its place among successful countries that acted in unity and solidarity between the nation and the state while fighting this pandemic, which shook the world deeply. Türkiye has not put up this fight for itself only, but it has also fought to help other countries. Under the leadership of our F O R E W O R D 18 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS President, our battle for a world where conscience, humanity, equity, justice, and truth prevail has also manifested itself during this pandemic period. With the measures taken, the supports provided, the projects carried out, and the incentives offered from the very first days of the pandemic, our country spent a year with the coronavirus in much better condition than many other countries in the world. Of course, we are deeply saddened by the loss of many people close to us and our precious scientists during this period. However, numerous measures have been taken in all areas of life, from healthcare to the economy, social life to work life, and tourism to agriculture, to prevent the pandemic from causing mass deaths and to slow down the course of the disease, and our state has extended its helping hand to all citizens in every aspect. With our nation’s perseverance, foresight, and wisdom, and our President’s leadership as well as the coordination among institutions, we have left behind a year of this difficult period. We have become one of two countries in the world that have built a hospital in 45 days. Our nation’s confidence and trust in our robust healthcare system have increased even more with our two pandemic hospitals, three city hospitals, and all the other projects carried out. Contrary to people who have tried to access treatment under challenging circumstances in many developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, Italy, France and the United States of America, the Government of the Republic of Türkiye was able to provide opportunities for free- of-charge treatment not only for its citizens at home but also for its citizens abroad, even if they were on the other side of the world, by evacuating them and bringing them home. This strength is the result of our will for independence. The spirit of sacrifice of our civilian volunteers who knock on every door to offer help to senior citizens, moreover, is the most powerful cement of this nation. Our nation, which has been struggling to FOREWORD | 19 overcome the century’s most significant health crisis through such solidarity, understanding, perseverance, and faith as to set an example for the world, must display a bit more patience, which is crucial for this pandemic period to come to an end. Our country, which has begun the vaccination process, free of charge for all citizens without discrimination, will also heal, in a relatively short period, all the wounds caused by the global pandemic. For we are a nation. For we are able to cultivate all the feelings needed to be a nation and to do what must be done. The book in your hand is a document to mark history, presenting in detail every aspect of the battle our state and our nation have put up under our President’s leadership against Covid-19 over the last year. It is my wish that the future generations who live in good health will remember with gratitude this epic struggle and better relay what we have done for humanity. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE FAHRETTİN ALTUN ÖNSÖZ | 21 Türkiye, thanks to its investments in healthcare infrastructure for about the last 20 years, has not had any interruption in the provision of healthcare services during the pandemic period. C H A P T E R 1 A Q U I C K R E V I E W O F T H E Y E A R G O N E B Y A QUICK REVIEW OF THE YEAR GONE BY | 23 T he December of 2019 marked the first time the world had to meet with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) that appeared for the first time in Wuhan, China, and in quite a short period, the world had to face a pan- demic about which there was no knowledge and against which there was no known defence mechanism. Research gave their fruits, and the disease was identified as Covid-19 on January 13, 2020, whose primary symptoms were announced to be fever, coughing and respiratory distress. Though defined as a large virus family that causes diseases in humans and animals, the novel coronavirus identified to cause the contagious Covid-19 disease became the most important agenda item of the year 2020. The WHO published its coronavirus report on January 20, 2020, where it announced for the first time that the virus was communicable between humans, declared a global emer- gency on January 30, 2020, and announced the name of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus to be Covid-19 on Feb- ruary 11, 2020. After Covid-19 was seen in Wuhan’s seafood and animal mar- ket, it quickly spread to other provinces of China and then to the whole world. In January (2020), the first countries where Covid-19 was seen were Thailand, Japan, the United States of C H A P T E R 1 A Q U I C K R E V I E W O F T H E Y E A R G O N E B Y 24 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS America, and France. Before the end of January, India, the Phil- ippines, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom joined the countries where the virus was seen, and the number of coun- tries increased rapidly within a few days. The WHO announced that as of July 7, 2020, there were 11.4 million cases and more than 535 thousand people who lost their lives worldwide and that the pandemic had not reached its peak yet. On October 19, 2020, a warning was announced that the northern hemisphere was entering the winter, and the number of cases started to in- crease, especially in Europe and North America, and the next few months would be more difficult. Finally, another news that increased the fear and anxiety levels of people towards the end of 2020 was about the mutation of Covid-19 that was said to spread even faster. The WHO announced that the information obtained about the new variant seen in Britain and spreading 70% faster would be shared with the world public. Covid-19, which is mainly transmitted through respiration, has shown its effect globally in many areas such as health, edu- cation, economy, judiciary, culture, tourism and highlighted the importance of the measures that need to be implemented swiftly. Türkiye was able to delay as much as possible the en- try of Covid-19 with the measures taken, and the first case was seen on March 11, 2020. In our country, which prioritised sci- ence-based process management in combating the pandemic, the Coronavirus Scientific Board was established on January 10, 2020, about two months before the first case was seen, and started to conduct global monitoring and evaluation of the pandemic. Immediately after the first case was seen in Türkiye, a meeting on coronavirus was held at the Presidential Com- plex under the chairmanship of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and comprehensive decisions to prevent the spread of the pandemic were taken quickly. A day after the appearance of the first case, Türkiye, as one of the countries in the world to rapidly take such a decision, suspended face-to-face education and started the remote education period, regulated the public A QUICK REVIEW OF THE YEAR GONE BY | 25 officials’ travel abroad to require a special permit, all sporting events to be held without spectators, suspended all flights to those countries in Europe where Covid-19 was widely seen, postponed all culture-art events, meetings and congresses, and many more decisions were taken in this meeting to prevent the spread of the pandemic. In the following period, with the Scien- tific Board’s recommendation, citizens returning from abroad were placed, after health checks, in student dormitories and quarantined there for 14 days. In addition to these preventive measures, the Coordination Meeting on the Fight against Coronavirus was held on March 18, 2020, under the chairmanship of our President Recep Tayy- ip Erdoğan, and the “Economic Stability Shield” package of 100 billion TL was announced. Comprehensive support packages were implemented at specific intervals to minimise the adverse effects to be caused by the global pandemic on the economy, security, tourism, trade, working life and daily life. Curfews were imposed on citizens aged 65 and older and peo- ple with chronic illnesses on March 22, 2020, and flexible work- ing methods such as remote working and rotational working were implemented for public employees in order not to disrupt the service. Vehicle entries into and exits from 30 metropolitan cities and Zonguldak province were suspended for 15 days on April 3, 2020; a weekend curfew was imposed in the aforemen- tioned cities on April 11-12, 2020, and weekend curfews were implemented at various times across the country, taking into account the number of cases in the subsequent period. In this process, regulations covering all areas of life were made, and Pandemic Boards were established in all provinces. On the one hand, thousands of Turkish citizens were brought back to our country from various regions as part of the world’s most significant evacuation operations; on the other, the VEFA Social Support Groups were able to meet all of the needs of 26 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS citizens aged 65 and older, as well as people with chronic ill- nesses, throughout Türkiye. Tens of thousands of our citizens were brought back to Türkiye from 142 countries in what was described as the most extensive evacuation operation in the Republic’s history. Our 368 patients were flown to Türkiye via air ambulance. Furthermore, from March 17 to June 11, 2020, Türkiye assisted in the evacuation process of 91 countries and evacuated 37 thousand 682 foreigners from our country. During the pandemic last year, VEFA Social Support Groups, which are made up of a total of 144 thousand 907 volunteers, including civil servants and NGO volunteers, responded to 9 million 805 thousand 462 requests from citizens. Within the scope of the “Social Protection Shield,” developed by the Di- rectorate of Family, Labour and Social Services, 3 million 124 thousand 580 households were visited. A total of 2 billion 926 million 956 thousand 599 TL were paid to citizens aged 65 and over as the elderly and disabled pensions in their household, including pension payments, İŞKUR payments and payments within the scope of the Economic Stability Shield Package. The Covid-19 pandemic process affected not only humans but also stray animals. Under the coordination of the Provincial Direc- torates of Agriculture and Forestry, all animal needs such as shelter, food, and disinfection of their living spaces were met in collaboration with non-governmental organisations in each city. Due to the health investments made over the last 20 years, Tür- kiye’s health services has not suffered any disruption during the pandemic process. Furthermore, Türkiye has entered the pandemic process well-equipped with city hospitals, the con- struction of which has been accelerated recently. Taking into account the possibilities that may arise during the pandemic’s upcoming period, pandemic hospitals have begun to be built quickly, and these hospitals have been completed and made operational in a short period, ensuring that no citizen suffers. A QUICK REVIEW OF THE YEAR GONE BY | 27 A total of 48 health facilities, including three City Hospitals (Is- tanbul Başakşehir, Konya and Tekirdağ City Hospitals), 25 new hospital buildings, and 11 hospital wings, were put into service between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021. In order to ensure the successful administration of Covid-19 treatments, 177 pan- demic hospitals in 81 provinces have been determined, each with at least two physicians specialising in infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, chest diseases, and internal medicine, as well as tertiary adult intensive care beds. During the pandemic period, the adult intensive care bed capacity of public hospitals was increased by 51%. During the early stages of the process, when the entire world was attempting to overcome the pandemic crisis and recover from the initial shock, our country set an example of national unity and solidarity by launching the ‘We are Self-Sufficient, Türkiye’ campaign and uniting in support of the sectors most affected by the pandemic. The Pandemic Isolation Tracking Project (ITP) was established by the Ministry of Health in early April 2020 and developed to alleviate the pandemic and isolate the patients, and the Di- rectorate of Communications promoted it and conducted the relevant awareness projects. Likewise, the Ministry of Health launched the “Hayat Eve Sığar” (Life Fits into Home - HES) mo- bile application, where information on the risk zones, family tracking, Covid-19 tests, daily coronavirus outlook, as well as hospital and pharmacy information on the map could be ac- cessed monthly. Following that, the persons’ risk situations were questioned using the code (HES Code) in this applica- tion, and thus the use of public transportation, travel, visits, entrance into social spaces such as shopping malls had been regulated, and such persons were prevented from leaving the isolation areas. Furthermore, the density map and risky ar- eas could be accessed, warnings of contact could be sent, HES transactions could be completed, rule violations could be re- 28 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS ported, vaccine information could be followed, and side effect and service evaluation questionnaires could be completed us- ing the HES application. HES, most effectively used by society, has been downloaded individually into citizens’ mobile phones 62,104,776 times. Türkiye has shared the number of tests and cases with the na- tional and international public by following a transparent pro- cess since the beginning of the pandemic. The ‘Filiation and Insulation Tracking System (FITAS),’ described as a successful application by international media, sets an example for many countries; and it has been another critical element in the fight against Covid-19 conducted by our country. The FITAS applica- tion has been developed to carry out studies on identifying the source and the agent (filiation) after the field investigation and case notification during the pandemic process and implement protective and control measures, including those with contacts. Filiation studies for cases have been completed, and a pandem- ic spread map has been created, resulting in a successful reduc- tion in the number of cases with the measures implemented since the first Covid-19 case was announced in our country. Filiation teams of three people perform scanning using mobile devices as soon as a case emerges, reach out to the case and those who have contacted them, and carry out filiation using the FITAS application in 81 provinces across Türkiye. The med- ication required by our citizens who test positive according to the application is delivered directly to their homes, preventing a rise in the spread of the disease and enabling people in the risk group to begin receiving treatment with early diagnosis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, while rapidly implement- ing the domestic decisions taken, Türkiye also aided many countries experiencing a shortage of medical supplies and an increase in the severity of the pandemic. Statements were made one after another by international actors on Türkiye’s manage- ment of the pandemic process and intensive efforts carried out A QUICK REVIEW OF THE YEAR GONE BY | 29 within the framework of global cooperation. Pavel Ursu, the WHO representative in Türkiye, indicated that Türkiye was an exemplary country due to its tremendous efforts on the treat- ment process in the fight against Covid-19 and the diagnostic capacity, and the country has managed the process transpar- ently. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated in April 2020 that Türkiye was one of the countries that provided the most assistance to its allies and that Türkiye’s military aircraft, which carried medical supplies and personal protection equip- ment to the UK, was the first one to use NATO’s single flight number. WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, ex- pressed his gratitude on behalf of WHO for the medical equip- ment assistance sent to the UK, Italy, Spain and the Balkan countries as well as Türkiye’s display of solidarity. By implementing domestic production of ventilators vital in Covid-19 treatment, particularly for the patients in intensive care, Türkiye has shown its support both to its own citizens and to the countries in need of ventilators. Under the guid- ance of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and in collaboration with the private sector, our country has quickly become a manufacturer and an exporter of ventilators. Indeed, in only one year, Türkiye, together with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Red Crescent, TIKA, AFAD and other aid agen- cies, provided assistance to 157 countries and 12 international organisations within the scope of requests for assistance of dif- ferent nature from 159 countries (49 African countries, 41 Euro- pean countries, 33 Asian countries, 21 American countries, 15 countries from Oceania). In addition to the grants of medical aid, personal protective equipment and ventilators, Türkiye al- so sent food aid to the countries experiencing food safety prob- lems during the pandemic process. Following the curfews that began in April, a relatively relaxed period was experienced in the pandemic with the warming of the weather, the expansion of the opportunity to socialise in 30 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS the open areas and the relaxation of the restrictions after June 2020. During the months of July-August-September 2020, steps were taken to ease social life within the gradual normalisation process framework. Beginning in November 2020, Türkiye, along with the rest of the world, has entered a process in which the restrictions have been intensified due to the increased im- pact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Countries implemented differ- ent degrees of restrictions and measures, taking into account the number of cases and deaths throughout 2020, and the mea- sures varied by region throughout the process management. The positive news about the vaccine developments in the last quarter of 2020 has given hope to the world struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic. Five vaccines, of which phase III studies had begun in the early period, were produced by three differ- ent methods. According to the results of phase III studies made in Türkiye of the Sinovac vaccine, an inactive vaccine devel- oped with conventional methods, its efficacy was determined as 83.5%, and the rate of preventing hospitalisations was 100%. Viral Vector (Adenovirus) vaccines contained live microorgan- isms and were produced within the scope of new vaccine de- velopment technologies. Sputnik-V and Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccines (AZA-1222) were in this class of vaccines. Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines were accounted for as the third vac- cine production method and mRNAs produced artificially in the laboratory to warn us against the virus by working just like our own mRNAs. Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines fell into this category of vaccines. Türkiye Vaccine Institute and the Clinical Research Centre have come to the last phase in do- mestic vaccine development. Twelve days after the first case was seen in our country, on March 23, 2020, an R&D project call was made to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. On April 17, 2020, TÜBİTAK announced that it would support applications to be made through TÜSEB after completing pre-clinical trials. Cur- rently, 16 domestic vaccine projects are supported in Türkiye, and six of them have started their phase trials. A QUICK REVIEW OF THE YEAR GONE BY | 31 The vaccination process has started at the beginning of 2021 on healthcare personnel and priority groups. All vaccines implemented in Türkiye are brought into service after being analysed by the Ministry of Health and evaluated in terms of safety. The process is managed with the Vaccine Tracking System (ATS) developed by the Ministry of Health Director- ate General of Public Health (HSGM), and the system provides evidence-based product safety. Its national and international patents have been issued on behalf of HSGM as the world’s first and only system to monitor temperature, expiry, and stock on a country basis. The social vaccination process in Türkiye af- ter the completion of clinical trials began on January 13, 2021. With the Coronavirus Scientific Board’s decision, vaccination is made primarily to healthcare personnel then continued gradu- ally, starting from the highest age group. To date, a total of 11 million 27 thousand vaccinations have been administered in Türkiye under the Covid-19 vaccination programme, with 7 million 895 thousand first doses and 3 million 131 thousand second doses. (14.03.2021) Our country has implemented province-based restrictions and measures as of March 2021. In this context, provinces were cat- egorised as blue (low risk), yellow (medium risk), orange (high risk) and red (very high risk) based on the number of cases, and the issues such as face-to-face education, curfew restrictions, official ceremonies, activities of sports, culture and art and the service method of cafes and restaurants were organised ac- cording to the gradual normalisation principle. Türkiye, with the economic and social policies implemented, has been one of the rare countries which survived the first year of the pandemic with minimal damage. A total of 311 billion TL was allocated on support and incentives, with special attention paid to each citizen. In the year 2020, when the Covid-19 pan- demic took its toll, our country ranked second after China, with a 1.8 per cent growth rate. 32 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS At this point, despite the expectation that the normalisation process would be accelerated by vaccination, it is clear that more than a year of pandemic experience would result in a paradigm shift in the ways of social life, economy, education, trade, and production. Countries’ transition to this new order, in which digitalisation is at the core of life, would be most suc- cessful in management and leadership processes. As an exem- plary country that effectively manages the pandemic process in the fields of technical infrastructure, health, and economy, our country will be in a safe and guiding position in the future world. The importance of the principles of global cooperation, global justice, global equality, global prosperity, and a global, peaceful and secure future, emphasised by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in every field, have been better understood in this process and shed light on the vision of future of the world. Recalling that the fates of all the people in the world depend on each other, Covid-19 gives important clues about the post- pandemic period. It has been seen that the humanitarian poli- cies of Türkiye were a requirement/an obligation not only in the pandemic process but for a viable world. After the vaccine developments, which are coming to their final stages, our coun- try will also give a quick response to the issue of vaccination as it had given to the world’s need for ventilators, medical sup- plies and protective equipment. On February 5, 2021, WHO an- nounced that approximately 130 countries with a population of 2.5 billion have yet to receive a single vaccine dose. Türkiye will also be a pioneer in the issue of vaccines, for which WHO often emphasises equal access. FOREWORD | 33 Between the years 2002 and 2021, Türkiye has made significant progress both in terms of access to healthcare services and in relation to each of the health indicators. Türkiye, in terms of the number of intensive care beds per 100 thousand people, has surpassed many developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France. C H A P T E R 2 T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S V I S I O N A R Y H E A L T H C A R E P O L I C Y a n d I N V E S T M E N T S 34 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 35 S ince 2002, one of the main policy areas on which Tür- kiye has focused its efforts has been healthcare. Ma- jor reforms have been undertaken to provide citizens with better quality healthcare services, restructure the healthcare field, and make important achievements globally. During that period, significant progress has been made both in terms of access to healthcare services and in relation to each of the health indicators. Thanks to these breakthroughs in the field of healthcare, Türkiye has climbed up in the international healthcare indices and has also become an exemplary country on a global scale. In the 2002-2021 period, in addition to many projects aimed at offering better quality healthcare services to citizens such as the “Central Physician Appointment System”, “TeleTıp”, “SABIM”, “e-Nabız Personal Health System” under the roof of “Transformation in Healthcare”, significant progress has been made in the fields of healthcare infrastructure, healthcare per- sonnel, and hospitals. As agreed by all experts on the matter, during such a rapidly spreading pandemic like Covid-19 around the world, healthcare infrastructure, healthcare staff, and the hospital capacity are becoming even more prominent. C H A P T E R 2 T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S V I S I O N A R Y H E A LT H C A R E P O L I C Y a n d I N V E S T M E N T S 36 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS I N V E S T M E N T S M A D E I N T H E H E A L T H C A R E F I E L D I N T H E 2 0 0 2 - 2 0 2 1 P E R I O D H AV E S I G N I F I C A N T LY B O L S T E R E D T H E S T R E N G T H O F O U R C O U N T R Y I N T E R M S O F T H E C A P A C I T Y T O C O U N T E R A N D T H E P O W E R T O R E S P O N D A G A I N S T T H I S G L O B A L P A N D E M I C . TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 37 In this context, regarding the leading health indicators in the event of a pandemic, the distance covered by Türkiye over the past 19 years and Türkiye’s current international position are shown in detail in the graphics and tables below. Number of Hospital Beds by Year and Sector While the number of hospital beds in Türkiye was 164,471 in 2002, this number has increased to 253,106 by 05/03/2021. NUMBER OF BEDS BY YEAR AND SECTOR   MINISTRY OF HEALTH UNIVERSITY PRIVATE TOTAL 2002 107.394 26.341 30.736 164.471 2003 107.771 26.619 31.075 165.465 2004 108.511 28.025 30.171 166.707 2005 110.109 29.014 31.849 170.972 2006 110.819 31.193 32.330 174.342 2007 112.037 30.978 34.985 178.000 2008 114.428 29.912 38.843 183.183 2009 115.443 30.112 43.083 188.638 2010 120.180 35.001 45.058 200.239 2011 121.297 34.802 38.405 194.504 2012 122.322 35.150 42.600 200.072 2013 121.269 36.056 44.706 202.031 2014 123.690 36.670 46.476 206.836 2015 122.331 38.361 48.956 209.648 2016 132.921 37.707 47.143 217.771 2017 135.339 41.324 49.200 225.863 2018 139.651 42.066 50.196 231.913 2019 145.403 42.925 51.031 239.359 2020 157.036 43.275 52.176 252.487 2021 157.439 43.380 52.287 253.106 38 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Number of Intensive Care Beds by Year While the number of intensive care beds in Türkiye was only 2,214 in 2002, this number has increased to 48,630 by 2021. YEAR SECTOR NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A Quaternary B TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2008 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 505 801 404 0 0 1.710 UNIVERSITY 53 71 463 0 0 587 PRIVATE 574 473 373 0 0 1.420 ALL SECTORS 1.132 1.345 1.240 0 0 3.717 2009 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 650 952 539 0 0 2.141 UNIVERSITY 88 86 519 0 0 693 PRIVATE 598 633 530 0 0 1.761 ALL SECTORS 1.336 1.671 1.588 0 0 4.595 2010 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 667 998 752 0 0 2.417 UNIVERSITY 94 167 566 0 0 827 PRIVATE 784 694 870 0 0 2.348 ALL SECTORS 1.545 1.859 2.188 0 0 5.592 2011 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 802 1.113 1.046 0 0 2.961 UNIVERSITY 89 218 551 0 0 858 PRIVATE 891 697 1.247 0 0 2.835 ALL SECTORS 1.782 2.028 2.844 0 0 6.654 2012 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 844 1.190 1.080 0 0 3.114 UNIVERSITY 106 209 629 0 0 944 PRIVATE 1.093 773 1.602 0 0 3.468 ALL SECTORS 2.043 2.172 3.311 0 0 7.526 2013 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 926 1.173 1.128 0 0 3.227 UNIVERSITY 109 201 792 0 0 1.102 PRIVATE 1.170 889 1.928 0 0 3.987 ALL SECTORS 2.205 2.263 3.848 0 0 8.316 TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 39 2008 - 2013 PERIOD YEAR SECTOR PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A ALL SECTORS 2008 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 0 0 0 UNIVERSITY 0 0 0 0 PRIVATE 0 0 0 0 ALL SECTORS 0 0 0 0 2009 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 0 0 0 UNIVERSITY 0 0 0 0 PRIVATE 0 0 0 0 ALL SECTORS 0 0 0 0 2010 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 0 0 0 UNIVERSITY 0 0 0 0 PRIVATE 0 0 0 0 ALL SECTORS 0 0 0 0 2011 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 90 185 164 439 UNIVERSITY 45 86 231 362 PRIVATE 9 0 2 11 ALL SECTORS 144 271 397 812 2012 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 37 259 176 472 UNIVERSITY 28 102 242 372 PRIVATE 7 8 0 15 ALL SECTORS 72 369 418 859 2013 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 10 259 224 493 UNIVERSITY 46 128 300 474 PRIVATE 12 0 18 30 ALL SECTORS 68 387 542 997 40 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS YEAR SECTOR ADULT INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Intermediate Intensive Care TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2008 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.060 1.478 1.173 0 4.711 UNIVERSITY 319 401 1.821 0 2.541 PRIVATE 1.202 920 874 0 2.996 ALL SECTORS 3.581 2.799 3.868 0 10.248 2009 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.061 1.761 1.388 0 5.210 UNIVERSITY 368 537 1.888 0 2.793 PRIVATE 1.097 1.081 1.244 0 3.422 ALL SECTORS 3.526 3.379 4.520 0 11.425 2010 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.342 1.944 1.536 0 5.822 UNIVERSITY 509 603 1.787 0 2.899 PRIVATE 1.492 1.152 1.352 0 3.996 ALL SECTORS 4.343 3.699 4.675 0 12.717 2011 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.156 2.206 1.819 0 6.181 UNIVERSITY 477 611 1.582 0 2.670 PRIVATE 1.679 1.118 1.863 0 4.660 ALL SECTORS 4.312 3.935 5.264 0 13.511 2012 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.295 2.352 2.088 0 6.735 UNIVERSITY 500 634 1.786 0 2.920 PRIVATE 1.966 1.371 2.312 0 5.649 ALL SECTORS 4.761 4.357 6.186 0 15.304 2013 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.307 2.602 2.324 0 7.233 UNIVERSITY 503 758 2.080 0 3.341 PRIVATE 1.766 1.630 2.681 0 6.077 ALL SECTORS 4.576 4.990 7.085 0 16.651 2008 - 2013 PERIOD TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 41 YEAR SECTOR TOTAL INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A Quaternary B Intermediate Intensive Care TOTAL 2.214 2008 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.565 2.279 1.577 0 0 0 6.421 UNIVERSITY 372 472 2.284 0 0 0 3.128 PRIVATE 1.776 1.393 1.247 0 0 0 4.416 ALL SECTORS 4.713 4.144 5.108 0 0 0 13.965 2009 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.711 2.713 1.927 0 0 0 7.351 UNIVERSITY 456 623 2.407 0 0 0 3.486 PRIVATE 1.695 1.714 1.774 0 0 0 5.183 ALL SECTORS 4.862 5.050 6.108 0 0 0 16.020 2010 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.009 2.942 2.288 0 0 0 8.239 UNIVERSITY 603 770 2.353 0 0 0 3.726 PRIVATE 2.276 1.846 2.222 0 0 0 6.344 ALL SECTORS 5.888 5.558 6.863 0 0 0 18.309 2011 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.048 3.504 3.029 0 0 0 9.581 UNIVERSITY 611 915 2.364 0 0 0 3.890 PRIVATE 2.579 1.815 3.112 0 0 0 7.506 ALL SECTORS 6.238 6.234 8.505 0 0 0 20.977 2012 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.176 3.801 3.344 0 0 0 10.321 UNIVERSITY 634 945 2.657 0 0 0 4.236 PRIVATE 3.066 2.152 3.914 0 0 0 9.132 ALL SECTORS 6.876 6.898 9.915 0 0 0 23.689 2013 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.243 4.034 3.676 0 0 0 10.953 UNIVERSITY 658 1.087 3.172 0 0 0 4.917 PRIVATE 2.948 2.519 4.627 0 0 0 10.094 ALL SECTORS 6.849 7.640 11.475 0 0 0 25.964 42 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS YEAR SECTOR NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A Quaternary B TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2014 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 974 1.215 1.133 0 0 3.322 UNIVERSITY 92 214 845 0 0 1.151 PRIVATE 1.079 973 2.771 0 0 4.823 ALL SECTORS 2.145 2.402 4.749 0 0 9.296 2015 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 916 1.207 1.241 0 0 3.364 UNIVERSITY 112 248 844 0 0 1.204 PRIVATE 975 891 3.964 0 0 5.830 ALL SECTORS 2.003 2.346 6.049 0 0 10.398 2016 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 959 1.247 1.379 0 0 3.585 UNIVERSITY 131 247 854 0 0 1.232 PRIVATE 976 681 4.465 0 0 6.122 ALL SECTORS 2.066 2.175 6.698 0 0 10.939 2017 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 967 1.374 1.496 0 0 3.837 UNIVERSITY 163 249 974 0 0 1.386 PRIVATE 1.220 929 4.614 0 0 6.763 ALL SECTORS 2.350 2.552 7.084 0 0 11.986 2018 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 987 1.451 1.428 78 30 3.974 UNIVERSITY 157 260 997 34 0 1.448 PRIVATE 1.240 1.110 4.630 0 0 6.980 ALL SECTORS 2.384 2.821 7.055 112 30 12.402 2019 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 1.019 1.499 1.528 134 30 4.210 UNIVERSITY 149 257 958 49 30 1.443 PRIVATE 1.364 1.188 4.499 0 0 7.051 ALL SECTORS 2.532 2.944 6.985 183 60 12.704 2014 - 2019 PERIOD TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 43 YEAR SECTOR PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A ALL SECTORS 2014 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 12 276 282 570 UNIVERSITY 22 129 329 480 PRIVATE 16 10 41 67 ALL SECTORS 50 415 652 1.117 2015 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 289 352 641 UNIVERSITY 0 147 361 508 PRIVATE 0 28 26 54 ALL SECTORS 0 464 739 1.203 2016 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 312 404 716 UNIVERSITY 0 88 365 453 PRIVATE 0 5 33 38 ALL SECTORS 0 405 802 1.207 2017 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 365 536 901 UNIVERSITY 0 135 421 556 PRIVATE 0 13 56 69 ALL SECTORS 0 513 1.013 1.526 2018 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 370 571 941 UNIVERSITY 0 106 436 542 PRIVATE 0 60 82 142 ALL SECTORS 0 536 1.089 1.625 2019 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 0 392 651 1.043 UNIVERSITY 0 103 485 588 PRIVATE 0 53 94 147 ALL SECTORS 0 548 1.230 1.778 44 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS YEAR SECTOR ADULT INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Intermediate Intensive Care TOTAL. ALL SECTORS 2014 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.228 3.197 2.557 0 7.982 UNIVERSITY 489 886 2.123 0 3.498 PRIVATE 1.572 1.788 3.319 0 6.679 ALL SECTORS 4.289 5.871 7.999 0 18.159 2015 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.259 3.292 2.986 0 8.537 UNIVERSITY 510 806 2.344 0 3.660 PRIVATE 1.337 1.949 4.399 0 7.685 ALL SECTORS 4.106 6.047 9.729 0 19.882 2016 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.406 3.543 3.375 0 9.324 UNIVERSITY 505 916 2.314 0 3.735 PRIVATE 1.221 2.044 4.593 0 7.858 ALL SECTORS 4.132 6.503 10.282 0 20.917 2017 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.360 3.904 3.994 0 10.258 UNIVERSITY 345 989 2.589 0 3.923 PRIVATE 1.242 2.275 5.030 0 8.547 ALL SECTORS 3.947 7.168 11.613 0 22.728 2018 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.488 4.123 4.560 0 11.171 UNIVERSITY 311 1.036 2.702 0 4.049 PRIVATE 1.404 2.485 4.967 0 8.851 ALL SECTORS 4.203 7.644 12.229 0 24.071 2019 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.490 4.492 5.154 0 12.136 UNIVERSITY 352 985 2.831 0 4.168 PRIVATE 1.402 2.512 5.069 0 8.983 ALL SECTORS 4.244 7.989 13.054 0 25.287 2014 - 2019 PERIOD TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 45 YEAR SECTOR TOTAL INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A Quaternary B Intermediate Intensive Care TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2014 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.214 4.688 3.972 0 0 0 11.874 UNIVERSITY 603 1.229 3.297 0 0 0 5.129 PRIVATE 2.667 2.771 6.131 0 0 0 11.569 ALL SECTORS 6.484 8.688 13.400 0 0 0 28.572 2015 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.175 4.788 4.579 0 0 0 12.542 UNIVERSITY 622 1.201 3.549 0 0 0 5.372 PRIVATE 2.312 2.868 8.389 0 0 0 13.569 ALL SECTORS 6.109 8.857 16.517 0 0 0 31.483 2016 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.365 5.102 5.158 0 0 0 13.625 UNIVERSITY 636 1.251 3.533 0 0 0 5.420 PRIVATE 2.197 2.730 9.091 0 0 0 14.018 ALL SECTORS 6.198 9.083 17.782 0 0 0 33.063 2017 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.327 5.643 6.026 0 0 0 14.996 UNIVERSITY 508 1.373 3.984 0 0 0 5.865 PRIVATE 2.462 3.217 9.700 0 0 0 15.379 ALL SECTORS 6.297 10.233 19.710 0 0 0 36.240 2018 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.475 5.944 6.559 78 30 0 16.086 UNIVERSITY 468 1.402 4.135 34 0 0 6.039 PRIVATE 2.644 3.655 9.679 0 0 0 15.973 ALL SECTORS 6.587 11.001 20.373 112 30 0 38.098 2019 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.509 6.383 7.333 134 30 0 17.389 UNIVERSITY 501 1.345 4.274 49 30 0 6.199 PRIVATE 2.766 3.753 9.662 0 0 0 16.181 ALL SECTORS 6.776 11.481 21.269 183 60 0 39.769 46 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS YEAR SECTOR ADULT INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A Quaternary B TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2020 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 996 1.542 1.631 162 30 4.361 UNIVERSITY 160 279 1.052 49 40 1.580 PRIVATE 1.326 1.380 4.411 10 0 7.127 ALL SECTORS 2.482 3.201 7.094 221 70 13.068 2021 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 1.241 0 0 4.341 UNIVERSITY 160 279 1.052 49 40 1.580 PRIVATE 1.326 1.380 4.411 10 0 7.127 ALL SECTORS 2.482 3.201 7.094 221 70 13.068 YEAR SECTOR PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A ALL SECTORS 2020 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 354 784 1.138 UNIVERSITY 121 530 651 PRIVATE 62 105 167 ALL SECTORS 537 1.419 1.956 2021 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 1.118 UNIVERSITY 121 530 651 PRIVATE 62 105 167 ALL SECTORS 537 1.419 1.956 2020 - 2021 PERIOD TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 47 YEAR SECTOR ADULT INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Intermediate Intensive Care TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2020 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 3.052 6.666 8.722 0 18.440 UNIVERSITY 368 1.102 3.165 0 4.635 PRIVATE 1.139 2.673 5.717 0 9.529 ALL SECTORS 4.559 10.441 17.604 0 32.604 2021 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2.859 6.469 8.771 1.383 19.482 UNIVERSITY 368 1.102 3.165 4.635 PRIVATE 1.139 2.673 5.717 9.529 ALL SECTORS 4.366 10.244 17.653 1.383 33.646 YEAR SECTOR TOTAL INTENSIVE CARE Primary Secondary Tertiary Quaternary A Quaternary B Intermediate Intensive Care TOTAL ALL SECTORS 2020 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 4.048 8.562 11.137 162 30 23.939 UNIVERSITY 528 1.502 4.747 49 40 6.866 PRIVATE 2.465 4.115 10.233 10 0 16.823 ALL SECTORS 7.041 14.179 26.117 221 70 47.628 2021 MINISTRY OF HEALTH 24.941 UNIVERSITY 528 1.502 4.747 49 40 6.866 PRIVATE 2.465 4.115 10.233 10 0 16.823 ALL SECTORS 6.848 13.982 26.166 221 70 48.630 48 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Number of Intensive Care Beds Per 100 Thousand People Türkiye has surpassed many developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France in terms of the number of intensive care beds per 100 thousand people. While the num- ber of intensive care beds per 100 thousand people is 56.9 in Türkiye, this figure is 33.9 in Germany, 9.5 in Spain, 8.4 in Italy, 8.2 in France, and 6.2 in the United Kingdom. COUNTRIES THE NUMBER OF BEDS YEARS TÜRKİYE 56,9 2020 GERMANY 33,9 2020 BELGIUM 29,4 2020 SPAIN 9,5 2020 AUSTRALIA 8,9 2020 ITALY 8,4 2020 FRANCE 8,2 2020 THE NETHERLANDS 6,7 2020 THE UNITED KINGDOM 6,2 2020 TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 49 Number of Healthcare Staff in Türkiye By Year While the number of physicians was 91,949 in 2002, this figure has increased drastically to 153,128 by 2018. YEAR 2002 2014 2015 2016 SENIOR PHYSICIAN 45.457 75.251 77.622 78.620 RESIDENT PHYSICIAN 15.592 21.320 21.843 23.149 PRACTITIONER 30.900 39.045 41.794 43.058 TOTAL NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS 91.949 135.616 141.259 144.827 DENTIST 16.371 22.996 24.834 26.674 NURSE 72.393 142.432 152.803 152.952 MIDWIFE 41.479 52.838 53.086 52.456 PHARMACIST 22.289 27.199 27.530 27.864 OTHER HEALTHCARE STAFF 50.106 138.878 145.943 144.609 OTHER SERVICE STAFF + SUBCONTRACTED PERSONNEL 83.964 303.110 311.337 321.952 TOTAL NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE LABOUR FORCE 378.551 823.069 856.792 871.334 YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 SENIOR PHYSICIAN 80.951 82.894 87.359 87.464 92.400 RESIDENT PHYSICIAN 24.397 26.181 26.756 32.164 33.360 PRACTITIONER 44.649 44.053 47.164 53.858 48.427 TOTAL NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS 149.997 153.128 161.279 173.486 174.187 DENTIST 27.889 30.615 32.859 34.331 35.637 NURSE 166.142 190.499 198.517 218.615 230.048 MIDWIFE 53.741 56.351 56.129 57.578 59.329 PHARMACIST 28.512 32.032 34.221 35.355 36.045 OTHER HEALTHCARE STAFF 155.417 177.409 183.381 200.313 210.233 OTHER SERVICE STAFF + SUBCONTRACTED PERSONNEL 339.241 376.367 362.291 401.804 431.379 TOTAL NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE LABOUR FORCE 920.939 1.016.401 1.028.677 1.121.482 1.176.858 50 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Number of Physicians Per 100 Thousand People in Türkiye By Year There has been an increase in the number of physicians per 100 thousand people in Türkiye by year as a clear reflection of healthcare investments. YEAR THE NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS 2002 138 2003 141 2004 143 2005 146 2006 150 2007 154 2008 158 2009 164 2010 167 2011 169 YEAR THE NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS 2012 172 2013 174 2014 175 2015 179 2016 181 2017 184 2018 187 2019 193 2020 207,5 2021 MARCH 208,3 TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 51 City Hospitals One of Türkiye’s important investments in the healthcare sys- tem is the city hospitals. Despite drawing criticism from cer- tain political circles and segments of society, city hospitals have once again proven essential to our country in this global pandemic. City hospitals boost our citizens’ access to health- care services while also providing major contributions to our country’s bed capacity. In the event of a global pandemic, they reinforce our capacity to resist the pandemic in question. This global pandemic has once again proven fundamentally that no healthcare investments have been wasted and have corre- sponded to society’s needs. More than half of the city hospital projects have been complet- ed and put into service for our citizens between 2017 and 2019. In 2020, İstanbul Başakşehir, Konya and Tekirdağ City Hospi- tals were put into service, and the on-going city hospital proj- ects are expected to be completed in 2021. 52 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Türkiye’s capacity in terms of healthcare infrastructure and healthcare staff has provided a sound basis in the country’s na- tional fight against coronavirus. The steps taken on this basis by the state in cooperation with all of its institutions in order to minimise social interaction, encourage voluntary quarantine, and reinforce solidarity, as well as the economic and social sup- port packages that have been introduced, have raised hopes for overcoming the pandemic with minimal damage. CITY CLOSED AREA BED CAPACITY THE NUMBER OF TOTAL ROOMS THE NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS THE NUMBER OF ASSISTANT HEALTHCARE STAFF THE NUMBER OF OPERATING ROOMS THE NUMBER OF POLYCLINICS THE NUMBER OF INTENSIVE CARES ADANA 539.824 1.595 1.190 983 2.267 58 407 334 MERSİN 374.601 1.330 1.005 509 2.201 51 227 288 ISPARTA 221.571 830 471 285 1.344 20 167 188 YOZGAT 141.120 475 251 149 820 18 119 106 KAYSERİ 466.379 1.607 1.411 732 2.616 43 395 363 MANİSA 178.204 558 470 268 821 19 129 188 ELAZIĞ 355.752 1.038 794 325 1.513 35 106 177 ANKARA BİLKENT 1.285.798 3.732 3.937 3.207 6.315 113 634 1.015 ESKİŞEHİR 333.303 1.235 995 354 1.686 37 254 289 BURSA 459.587 1.355 1.097 437 1.903 49 310 294 İSTANBUL KARTAL (1st PHASE) 302.148 1.195 633 968 1.753 33 322 224 TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 53 CITY CLOSED AREA BED CAPACITY THE NUMBER OF TOTAL ROOMS THE NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS THE NUMBER OF ASSISTANT HEALTHCARE STAFF THE NUMBER OF OPERATING ROOMS THE NUMBER OF POLYCLINICS THE NUMBER OF INTENSIVE CARES İSTANBUL OKMEYDANI (1st PHASE) 180.000 965 639 886 1.387 31 283 118 İSTANBUL BAŞAKŞEHİR- İKİTELLİ 1.019.693 2.682 2.229 1.011 3.239 92 710 371 İSTANBUL GÖZTEPE 189.890 765 432 885 1.174 28 187 91 KONYA 278.776 838 469 509 1.978 49 247 216 TEKİRDAĞ 156.890 480 270 148 728 17 128 101 KÜTAHYA 180.799 610 363 TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE 20 197 79 KOCAELİ 383.160 1.210 786 TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE 71 258 188 ANKARA ETLİK 1.145.129 3.624 2.681 TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE 125 1.031 697 GAZİANTEP 638.038 1.875 1.235 TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE 62 475 277 İZMİR 629.447 2.060 1.381 TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE 54 457 374 ERZURUM 409.000 1.313 914 TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE TO BE PUT INTO SERVICE 39 310 271 54 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS M E R S İ N C I T Y H O S P I T A L A D A N A C I T Y H O S P I T A L TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 55 Y O Z G A T C I T Y H O S P I T A L I S P A R T A C I T Y H O S P I T A L 56 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS M A N I S A C I T Y H O S P I T A L K A Y S E R İ C I T Y H O S P I T A L TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 57 A N K A R A B İ L K E N T C I T Y H O S P I T A L E L A Z I Ğ C I T Y H O S P I T A L 58 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS B U R S A C I T Y H O S P I T A L E S K İ Ş E H İ R C I T Y H O S P I T A L TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 59 İ S T A N B U L O K M E Y D A N I ( 1 S T P H A S E ) C I T Y H O S P I T A L İ S T A N B U L K A R T A L ( 1 S T P H A S E ) C I T Y H O S P I T A L 60 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS İ S T A N B U L G Ö Z T E P E C I T Y H O S P I T A L İ S T A N B U L B A Ş A K Ş E H İ R İ K İ T E L L İ C I T Y H O S P I T A L TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 61 T E K İ R D A Ğ C I T Y H O S P I T A L K O N Y A C I T Y H O S P I T A L 62 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS K O C A E L İ C I T Y H O S P I T A L K Ü T A H Y A C I T Y H O S P I T A L TÜRKİYE’S VISIONARY HEALTHCARE POLICY AND INVESTMENTS | 63 G A Z İ A N T E P C I T Y H O S P I T A L A N K A R A E T L İ K C I T Y H O S P I T A L 64 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS İ Z M İ R C I T Y H O S P I T A L E R Z U R U M C I T Y H O S P I T A L TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 65 ÖNSÖZ | 65 Türkiye, through its economic and social policies, has been one of the few countries to overcome the first year of the pandemic with the least amount of damage. A fund of approximately 311 billion liras was utilised for the supports and incentives that were carried out, and strict attention was paid to standing by each and every citizen. C H A P T E R 3 T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S E X E M P L A R Y F I G H T A G A I N S T T H E C O R O N A V I R U S 66 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 67 3.1. Inclusive Health Services Strategy Relating to the Pandemic Türkiye has delivered a more successful performance in the healthcare field compared to several developed countries. While developing a strategy for the pandemic in this process, great attention has been paid to inclusiveness, scientific data as well as information and communication technologies. Within this context, several factors such as the establishment of the Operation Centre, risk assessment and planning, the formation of scientific boards, strict case tracking, the meticulous imple- mentation of the quarantine process have significantly contrib- uted to the success of the process. This strategy, which involves taking multi-actor and multi-dimensional action, has brought success in its wake. Operation Centre Following China’s official announcement of 44 cases on Janu- ary 3, the Ministry of Health set up the Operation Centre within the body of the General Directorate of Public Health by assign- ing 15 personnel as part of the initial measures in contempla- tion of a possible global pandemic. The Operation Centre gave instant briefings to related units by monitoring and reporting all the developments in the world related to the probability of a pandemic with the purpose of mapping out a strategy. C H A P T E R 3 T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S E X E M P L A R Y F I G H T A G A I N S T T H E C O R O N AV I R U S 68 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Risk Assessment and Planning The first Covid-19 death case was reported On January 9, 2020, and the coronavirus started spreading gradually around the world. On January 15, 2020, the Ministry of Health started risk assessment meetings and efforts to create a guideline for treat- ing the disease. Besides, personnel training was commenced si- multaneously to expand the capacity in the fight against the pandemic. On the same day, 25 reference hospitals were deter- mined for the regional-scale pandemic by inspecting the condi- tions of all the public hospitals in Türkiye. Coronavirus Scientific Board On January 10, 2020, Coronavirus Scientific Board, formed un- der the Ministry of Health, held its first meeting. During the Coronavirus Scientific Board Meeting, which brought togeth- er the faculty members in the fields of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Pub- lic Health, Pulmonology, Intensive Care, Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Emergency Medicine and Medical Microbiology, TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 69 decisions that included taking precautions against the flights arriving from China, setting up fever screening thermal cam- eras at the airports for the flights abroad and developing edu- cational materials about Covid-19 were made. Within the scope of a cumulative strategy, the Coronavirus Sci- entific Board not only focused on a clinical fight against Co- vid-19 but also prioritised the thematic sub-committees that encompass all the phases of the fight from the perspective of good governance. Sub-committees • Pandemic Management in Society • Infection Control at Hospitals and Healthcare Personnel’s Health • Laboratory and Radiological Diagnosis • Patient Triage • Treatment Management 70 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Treatment Management in Intensive Care • Hospital and Intensive Care Units Planning • Precautions to Be Taken in Public Institutions and Organisations • Digital / Communication Materials Design and Sharing of Updates Social Sciences Board The processes taking place outside of the natural flow of life during the pandemic pointed to the need to introduce policies for adaptation to the new normal in the post-pandemic period. The Ministry of Health formed the Social Sciences Board on June 8, 2020, for the traumas created by Covid-19 to be elimi- nated as soon as possible. The Social Sciences Board was com- posed of faculty members in the fields of sociology, psychology, psychiatry, public health and history of medicine, and the Min- istry of Health executives. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 71 2019-nCoV Disease Guide Prepared as an outcome of the Coronavirus Scientific Board’s efforts, the 2019-nCoV Disease Guide was shared on the web- site of GDPH (General Directorate of Public Health) on January 24, 2020. Domestic Diagnostic Kit Two different kits were developed based on a reference proto- col published by the WHO for the SARS-CoV-2 molecular test on January 17, 2020. The manufacturing and commercialisa- tion rights of the product belong exclusively to USHAŞ Inter- national Health Services Inc. In 2020, approximately 5 million diagnostic kits were deliv- ered within Türkiye, while over 2 million diagnostic kits were sold to over 20 countries. The domestic distribution of the kits started on February 4, 2020, while the distribution abroad was launched out on March 5, 2020. . 72 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Integrated Pandemic Management and Case Tracking Some systems and applications devised within the body of the Ministry of Health enabled the pandemic period to be managed and the case tracking to be carried out based on an integrated pandemic approach. These systems can be briefly summarised as follows: Public Health Management System Public Health Management System, which would do both case and contact tracing, was brought into effect starting from the day the first Covid-19 case was diagnosed. Public Health Management Sys- tem became the primary data source in the pandemic period. Public Health Management System is the primary informa- tion source of the pandemic. Citizens who show symptoms or have contacted a positive case are registered to the system after taking a PCR test so that their treatment and patients in home isolation can be monitored, and daily follow-ups can be carried out. All the treatment data are stored in the system, which is also the primary registry for physicians’ clinical studies. So far, a total of 21,315,454 citizens have been registered to the Pub- lic Health Management System, and family practitioners have made 82,781,903 follow-ups on the system. Public Health Man- agement System constitutes the framework of the Ministry of Health system architecture in the fight against the pandemic. Public Health Management System offers an integrated pan- demic management service by providing direct interfaces not only to the Ministry of Health but also to the systems that all the external shareholders utilise. The Public Health Management System has turned into an inte- grated pandemic management system. It is integrated with the Laboratory Information Management System for the test results to be available right after they are submitted by the laboratory, TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 73 with the Teleradiology System for the follow-up of the imaging examinations, especially Computed Tomography (CT) of the cases, with the e-Nabız Personal Health System for the patients to access their own results and the doctors to detailed health data of the cases, with the Death Notification System for the tracking of death cases, with the Filiation and Isolation Track- ing System for the filiation (source research) works, and with the AŞILA System and Vaccine Tracking System (VTS) for the tracking of the vaccination. In the system, while people who tested positive for Covid-19 can be monitored, their infection source and contact tree graphics are also produced by adding the lists of the contacted persons. Thus, an elaborate tracking system has been put into use. Starting from March 1, all citizens arriving from abroad have been registered to the system and assigned to family practitio- ners. Up to this date, family practitioners have made 3,923,826 follow-ups of 803,923 individuals coming from abroad. Upon the first Covid-19 case diagnosed on March 11, the system integrated with the entire healthcare system, including all pub- lic, private, and university hospitals. The system also contains details such as arrivals from abroad, isolation details, labora- tory test results, imaging test reports, patients’ health history, contact information, treatment information, information on isolation at home or dormitory and vaccination status. By bring- ing together 40 different applications under one roof, austerity is ensured. The application has over 300 thousand active users. Health Statistics and Causal Analysis (SİNA) During the pandemic, SİNA serves as data-oriented manage- ment and administration infrastructure at every stage of the decision-making process in the central and provincial organ- isations of the Ministry of Health. The Daily Coronavirus Table, 74 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS published daily and referred to as the turquoise table by the public, is also created within the SİNA system. The Covid-19 process has been tracked instantly through the e-Nabız infra- structure, SİNA has been put into service in the central organ- isation of the Ministry of Health to help the executives make much more effective and efficient decisions, make the neces- sary interventions and take the necessary precautions imme- diately by tracking the 81 provinces simultaneously. Through the SİNA system, right after when the first Covid-19 case was identified in the country, graphical screens relating to the tracking Covid-19 were created on the system and were opened to both the top executives’ access of the Ministry and the provincial executives. Here, they can make a detailed data analysis of case profiles based on anonymous data and the progression rate of the pandemic, filiation tracking and treat- ment processes. The vaccination and vaccine stock status can also be tracked instantly on SİNA. Corona Prevention Application The diagnosis and symptom algorithms developed by the Coronavirus Scientific Board have been transferred to the TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 75 digital sphere, thus enabling the citizens to check their Covid-19 symptoms on mobile medium. With the Corona Prevention application, questions are directed at citizens about whether they have been abroad, contacted a case, have symptoms etc., and in line with the replies, those who appear to be risky in terms of Covid-19 are urged to visit the nearest health facility. This application started providing web-based and mobile ser- vices on March 19. Up to now, 2,000,200 people have performed symptom checks through the system. Approximately 135 thou- sand people were found to be risky and directed to the near- est health facility. Around 12 thousand of them were put under medical treatment as a result of positive PCR test results. Filiation and Isolation Tracking System (FİTAS) FİTAS has been developed to identify the source or agent (filia- tion) following field inspection and the notification of the case and to take protection and control measures, including the contacted during the pandemic. In Türkiye, since the day the first Covid-19 case was announced, filiation works have been 76 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS carried out for the cases, the spread of the pandemic has been mapped out, and success has thus been achieved in decreasing the case growth rates through the measures taken. Filiation teams consisting of 3 individuals carry out the filia- tion procedure through the FİTAS application in 81 provinces by scanning via mobile devices as soon as the case is reported and reaching the case and their contacted ones. The system initiates the process by informing the citizen via SMS before reaching the contacted or the positive case and getting the citizen’s approval when they arrive at the door. Hence, the whole process takes place reciprocally and smoothly, without any hiccups. With the FİTAS application, medicine is delivered to positive cases personally through visits to their homes, thus hindering the growth of the spread. Filiation works prevent the spread of the disease, and people in the risk group start receiving treat- ment through early diagnosis. The number of filiation teams has reached 23,096. The number of contacted persons per case is 3 on average, and the filiation time has been reduced to 7 hours thanks to the filiation teams’ dedicated efforts. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 77 Filiation practice is the primary practice that facilitates the pre- vention of the spread of the pandemic by identifying the con- tacted people and locations after detecting the positive or the contacted case. The Ministry of Health has made this application available on mobile medium to help make the fastest contact tracing pos- sible. The interfaces that the FİTAS infrastructure has provided to other public institutions enable uninterrupted supervision of isolation and notifications. Especially the Ministry of Interior implements the necessary safety measures by querying via the system the contacted or positive citizens who do not abide by the rules. Moreover, the individuals or businesses that violate the Covid-19 rules are also audited by the citizens via the system. The application has 190 thousand active users. Health Screen (Sağlık Pano) Application For the momentary tracking of the Covid-19 country-wide, the Health Screen application has been developed. On the Health Screen application, momentary filiation spots, province-district filiation status, filiation distance statistics, hospital-based cases, active case density, and vaccination spots can be monitored on the live map. This application allows the process of Türkiye’s fight against the pandemic to be tracked and managed instantly through the map. Life Fits Into Home Application Life Fits into Home (HES) application was developed in order to prevent risky people from joining social life and to minimise the spread. With the HES Code, individuals’ risk status is checked, and they are prevented from using public transport, travelling, visiting, entering social areas such as shopping malls etc. and leaving the isolation areas. 78 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In addition, with the HES application, risky areas can be seen on the density map, contact warnings can be made, HES Code procedures can be carried out, rule violations can be notified, vaccination information can be followed, and side effect and service evaluation questionnaires can be filled. The HES appli- cation is the Ministry of Health’s application that is most effec- tively used by society in the fight against the pandemic. Citizens have personally downloaded HES 62,104,776 times to mobile phones from Android and iOS stores. Thanks to the application, 119,440,875 HES Codes were created by 68,136,524 people. HES code was questioned 3,307,938,306 times by the relevant indi- viduals and institutions in social life. 107,290 risky people have been prevented from using intra-city transportation, and 12,632 people have been prevented from boarding the plane as a result of the instant inquiries made through the application. Mobile/Digital Applications In addition to the systems and applications that enable inte- grated pandemic management, some applications have been developed to psychologically support healthcare professionals, families and citizens during the pandemic process and increase their motivation. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 79 Psychosocial Support Line Psychosocial Support Hotlines have been activated in all 81 prov- inces as of April 2020. The Psychosocial Support Systems Usage Guide, which includes the psychological and social support ser- vices offered by all official and non-governmental organisations as well as the conditions and methods of their use, was prepared and presented to the use of all institutions, organisations and NGOs serving in this field. A Psychological Information Guide for the citizens who are under quarantine in their dormitories or at home and healthcare profes- sionals has been prepared and put into use. In addition to 14 rules for protection from the disease, 14 suggestions for the protection of mental health were created and published as posters. Mental Health Support System (RUHSAD) In the fight against Covid-19, it is vital that physical and tech- nological infrastructures are maintained in healthcare servic- es. Another critical issue during this process is to support the motivation of healthcare professionals at the highest level. The 80 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Healthcare Personnel Mental Support Application (RUHSAD) has been developed to protect and support the mental health of healthcare professionals who have made great sacrifices in the fight against Covid-19, which has swept the whole world, and their family members involved in this challenging pro- cess. With RUHSAD, healthcare professionals can receive on- line psychological consultation support for themselves or their families. During the pandemic, more than 3 thousand health- care professionals and their relatives have used this service. Support System for Children with Special Needs (ÖZDES) During the pandemic, Support System for Children with Special Needs (ÖZDES) has been developed for online psychological consultation and support services when needed by the children who have special needs and receive mental and psychological rehabilitation and training, and their families. For ÖZDES, it is aimed to continue the implementation where nearly 60 peda- gogues, child and adolescent psychiatrists and behavioural trainers serve voluntarily, to actively serve the families of dis- abled individuals also after the pandemic. ÖZDES also serves Turkish citizens abroad during the Covid-19 process. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 81 Dr. e-Nabız Application The telemedicine applications, which are thought to assist in delivering healthcare service and are integrated with some pro- cesses, have been used commonly in the fight against Covid-19 both in Türkiye and throughout the world. With the e-Nabız Personal Health System, the Telemedicine application, all in- frastructure works of which have been completed and is used effectively, especially in radiology, has been offered to the use of physicians during the pandemic. In this way, in order to ensure that risky citizens can access health services without leaving the isolation areas, Covid-19 patients and citizens were provid- ed examination online by making an appointment via MHRS. 82 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Services During the Quarantine Process In the field of health, an essential aspect of the pandemic pro- cess is the issue of taking domestic and foreign citizens under quarantine. During this process, especially the Ministry of Youth and Sports played an important role. In cooperation with relevant ministries and institutions, the Ministry of Youth and Sports accommodated citizens who need to be quarantined at the dormitories and met all their needs during this process. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the following number of people have been accommodated in 293 dormitories in 81 provinces so far; • 65,824 citizens of the Republic of Türkiye coming from 97 countries, • 7,371 personnel of the Ministry of Health, • 3,092 personnel of the Ministry of Justice, • 8,668 military personnel, • 4,325 civilian citizens who were quarantined for pre- ventive purposes, • 5,273 citizens receiving treatment at social isolation and observation centres, • 24,745 citizens taken under compulsory isolation, • 613 people coming to Türkiye by air from the United Kingdom, including those subjected to 7-day quaran- tine, A total of 119,911 people have been accommodated at the dormitories. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 83 In line with the Ministry of Interior’s circular dated September 11, 2020, 118 dormitories have been allocated in 81 provinces to host a total of 121,824 citizens who violated the quarantine con- ditions and were put under mandatory isolation. As of February 24, 2021, at 89 dormitories in 72 provinces, • 230 personnel of the Ministry of Health, • Citizens receiving treatment in 51 social isolation and observation centres, • 2,332 citizens under compulsory isolation, • 45 people, including those who have come from the United Kingdom by air and have been subjected to 7-day quarantine, A total of 2,658 people continue to be accommodated at the dormitories. TRNC Dormitories Within the scope of the Covid-19 pandemic, dormitories in the TRNC were closed until a second order on March 22, 2020, and the dormitories were used as quarantine dormitories for TRNC citizens and Turkish military troops in the ongoing process. • Service is provided at five dormitories in the TRNC with a total capacity of 6,194. • During the Covid-19 pandemic, most of the students returned to their countries due to the interruption of education in the TRNC between March 16-April 5, 2020. 84 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • A decision was taken to close the dormitories serv- ing in the TRNC on March 18, 2020, starting from March 22, 2020, until further notice, and it was an- nounced to the dormitories and students. • However, as of March 21, 2020, 17:00, it has been de- cided to close the sea-air and land border gates be- tween Türkiye and the TRNC, and it was decided to provide the security and evacuation of the students whose flights were cancelled and bring them to Tür- kiye with under special permission. • In this context, 398 students and four staff were brought to our country by the private ship sent from Türkiye on March 22, 2020. • All 398 students, who arrived in Türkiye by ship on March 22, 2020, were quarantined. At the end of the quarantine, no student was diagnosed with Covid-19. • Refika Teachers’ Dormitory served as a quarantine dormitory for TRNC citizens on April 8-27, 2020. Turkish troops have been accommodated for quar- antine at Necmettin Erbakan Dormitory Directorate, as of April 21, 2020, at II. Selim Dormitory Director- ate, as of April 22, 2020, at Refika Teachers’ Dormito- ry Directorate between April 30-June 01, and at Bül- ent Ecevit Dormitory Directorate between May 4-25, 2020. The quarantine of Turkish troops continues at II. Selim and Necmettin Erbakan Dormitories. Corona-Meter Diaries To enable university students to stay at the dormitories to use their time more efficiently and keep their productivity alive during the Covid-19 pandemic, “Corona-Meter Activities” have TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 85 been held. In this context, a unique initiative named Coro- nameter is being implemented, which involves four separate activities and reaches thousands of university students, with the winner receiving a reward. Assistance for International Students at Dormitories Until June 12, 2020, food assistance was provided to the in- ternational students staying at dormitories and not able to go abroad due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and students who were hosted at the dormitories without paying a dormitory fee and guarantee fee (those who were raised at the dormitories of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, those who did not have parents, those who were under state protection, etc.) Strengthening Healthcare Service Capacity At the beginning of 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, the healthcare service capacity and healthcare service provi- sion almost collapsed even in developed countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and the US. Türkiye has not experienced any disruptions during the pandemic thanks to healthcare services investments in the last 20 years. Upon the anticipation that the pandemic would deepen, Türkiye further developed its existing infrastructure with a very swift decision. Our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced in his state- ment after the Cabinet Meeting held on April 6, 2020, that two pandemic hospitals would be established in Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport and Sancaktepe. Immediately after the announcement, the construction of the hospitals began on April 9, 2020. 4 thou- sand workers worked in 3 shifts for each hospital in only 45 days, completing the construction on a very tight schedule. The name of the hospital in Sancaktepe is Prof. Feriha Öz Emergen- cy Hospital; the name of the hospital at Yeşilköy Airport is Prof. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital. 86 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS One of the pandemic hospitals built in Sancaktepe as a fully equipped hospital, including landscaping procedures, Prof. Feriha Öz Emergency Hospital opened on May 29, 2020. The hospital, which has a strategic location with its proximity to the airport, will ensure that the patients brought from outside the city and from abroad will have access to healthcare services as soon as they get off the plane. Built on an indoor area of 75 thousand square meters, the hospital has a capacity of 1,008 beds, and each room can be converted into an intensive care unit when necessary. The needs of chronic kidney patients can be met with nearly 100 dialysis units in the facility. The hos- pital, which has 16 fully-fledged operating rooms, is equipped with expert medical personnel and advanced medical technol- ogies in every field. Prof. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital in Yeşilköy and Hadımköy Dr. İsmail Niyazi Kurtulmuş Hospi- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 87 tal opened on May 31, 2020. Prof. Murat Dilmener Hospital has a horizontal architecture resistant against earthquakes and a healthcare facility that will contribute significantly to health tourism. The healthcare facility is established in an area of 125 thousand square meters, while 50 thousand square meters are reserved for landscaping and parking areas. The hospital, which has a parking lot for 500 vehicles, has a closed area of 75 thousand square meters. The hospital has a capacity of 1,008 beds capacity hospital, and each room can be converted to an intensive care unit when desired. In addition, there are 16 fully equipped operating rooms, 576 patient bedrooms with bath- rooms, 36 of which have dialysis and intensive care infrastruc- ture, 432 intensive care beds, 36 of which have dialysis patient infrastructure, 36 emergency observation beds, eight triage, 2 CRP, four tomography, 4 MR, 2 X-ray rooms. 88 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Hadımköy Dr. İsmail Niyazi Kurtulmuş Hospital was built in 1881 by Sultan Abdülhamit II. The restoration project of this building, which served as a military hospital until 1985 and barracks until 2012, was prepared. The ancestral heritage re- stored per the original in 45 days was put into service upon the instruction of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The hospital, which provided significant services during the Balkan War, First World War and Çanakkale Battle, is currently making essential contributions to the fight against Covid-19. This hospital, which has an indoor area of 4500 square meters and is spread over 23 decares of land, is designed as a smart building and has 101 beds, including 59 intensive care beds. The pandemic hospitals, the construction of which was complet- ed in only 45 days, are impressive with their quality and features. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 89 The pandemic hospital has a fully equipped hospital infra- structure with all of the new technological equipment that a hospital can have. During the pandemic, a total of 16 giant new hospitals were inaugurated until December 2020. The names of these hospi- tals are Malatya İnönü University Turgut Özal Medical Centre Oncology Hospital, Erzurum, Tekirdağ, Konya, Kartal Dr. Lütfi Kırdar, İstanbul Göztepe Prof. Dr. Süleyman Yalçın, Okmeydanı Prof. Dr. Cemil Taşçıoğlu and Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospitals, Bilecik and Milas State Hospitals, Sakarya Gynecol- ogy and Pediatrics Hospital, Yeşilköy Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmen- er and Sancaktepe Prof. Dr. Feriha Öz Emergency Hospitals, Hadımköy Dr. İsmail Niyazi Kurtulmuş Hospital, Sivas Cum- huriyet University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatrics Additional Service Building, Mersin 90 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS University Oncology Hospital and Malatya İnönü University Tur- gut Özal Medical Centre Oncology Hospital. In these hospitals, Co- vid-19 treatment was also offered to patients free of charge. Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital is the particularly prom- inent one among these hospitals, and it is Türkiye’s 3rd largest health investment project carried out through the model of public- private partnership by the Ministry of Health, providing service to Istanbul and the surrounding provinces in particular. The hos- pital, which can render service to 23,600 patients, was completed in 2020. In October, November and December, when the second wave of the pandemic hit, Türkiye continued to provide high-qual- ity service to each citizen without facing any significant problems thanks to the urgent healthcare projects and investments, in addi- tion to its visionary health policies and investments. Between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021, a total of 48 healthcare facilities began to provide services, including 3 City Hospitals (Is- tanbul Başakşehir, Konya and Tekirdağ City Hospitals), 25 new hospital buildings, 11 additional hospital buildings. Compared to the data on the same period last year, the number of healthcare fa- cilities providing services rose by 55%. 177 hospitals in 81 provinces were designated as pandemic hospi- tals, each with at least two physicians from the specialities of infec- tious diseases, clinical microbiology, chest diseases, and internal medicine and also tertiary care adult intensive care beds. During the pandemic period, the adult intensive care bed capacity of pub- lic hospitals was expanded by 51%. The number of intensive care beds increased by 6,395 in total, including 6,120 intensive care beds for adults (3,653 of which are for tertiary care), 107 for children, and 168 for newborns. As a result of the new hospitals and additional buildings inaugu- rated due to the pandemic, as well as the demand for increasing the number of beds, the total bed capacity was increased by 8.2% (11,792) as of March 1, 2020, reaching 155,545 beds. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 91 The construction of healthcare facilities with an average bed ca- pacity of 5,500 has been completed every year since 2002, making a total of 100,000 beds. Only during the pandemic period, the con- struction of a 16,159-bed healthcare facility was completed. The capability to complete construction increased three folds each year. Between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2021; • The total capacity was increased by 42% through the purchase of 5,673 ventilators. • The number of high flow nasal oxygen devices in- creased from 216 to 1,847, and the total capacity grew by approximately 700%. • 6,047 monitors were purchased, and the total capacity grew by 14%. • As a result of maintenance and repair efforts for ven- tilators, 467 ventilators in 81 provinces were repaired and made operational. 92 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Increasing the Capacity of Laboratories The capacity of laboratories, which can perform SARS-CoV-2 RNA PCR tests, has been improved in 81 provinces. All of the tests distributed to the whole country are conducted by 197 mi- crobiology laboratories, which are authorised by the Ministry of Health and subject to an external quality control programme. There are currently 265 laboratories in the private sector that are authorised to perform screening tests for a fee. Based on 13,657 test results analysed as part of the quality control programme, the accuracy of the test data was found to be 93.06%. While the number of laboratories that could perform PCR tests was 73 be- fore the pandemic, the figure rose to 461 during the pandemic. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 93 Production and Distribution of Medical Equipment In an era when wars over medical equipment, especially masks, are waged, Türkiye once again handled the crisis successfully. Manufacturing Based on the principle of “domestic and national” manufactur- ing regarding medical equipment, Türkiye has manufactured medical equipment in line with the pandemic requirements in cooperation with all ministries, public agencies and the private sector. The medical equipment manufactured involves a wide range of products such as masks, face shields, protective gog- gles, protective coveralls, ventilators, drugs, disinfectant, ther- mal camera, and portable devices. Masks/Face Shields/Gloves/Protective Coveralls As of March 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic began to emerge in Türkiye, we started to make efforts to use the capabilities of military factories affiliated to the Ministry of National Defence for the fight against the pandemic. Today, manufacturing op- erations continue uninterruptedly. Sewing Workshops manu- factured surgical masks and protective coveralls. As of March 31 2020, a total of 93,304,850 surgical masks and 64,676 protec- tive coveralls were manufactured by the Sewing Workshops of the Land, Sea and Air Forces. 94 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS MAKSAM Machinery and Mask Factory of the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Company also produced many types of medical equipment such as masks and protective coveralls during the pandemic period. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 95 In the pilot Youth Centres designated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 81 provinces, face shields were manufactured with 3D printers as part of “Person of Many Talents” workshops. Young volunteers of Youth Centres and the staff took part in the manufacturing that started on March 26, 2020. The Provincial Directorates of the Ministry of Youth and Sports delivered the manufactured masks to the Provincial Health Directorates as well as to the hospitals and citizens who requested them, and healthcare professionals were supported in this challenging pe- riod. Approximately 1,000,000 masks have been manufactured and distributed so far. In addition, the Youth Leaders of the Ministry of Youth and Sports introduced the “Transparent Communication” project to reduce the communication problems that hard of hearing people experienced during the pandemic due to the failure to read lips while wearing masks. Masks developed with clear panel over the mouth attracted a great deal of attention by hard of hearing indi- viduals as they ease communication with other people. As part of the fight against the pandemic, vocational and tech- nical training schools and institutions, which are the revolving fund enterprises affiliated to the Ministry of National Education, manufactured and continue to manufacture a wide variety of 96 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS products. As a consequence of expanding schools’ capacities and making new investments, daily mask production capacity has reached 2.5 million (5 million in case of double shifts). 150 million surgical masks, 60 thousand N95 masks, 1.6 million protective face shields, 1.4 million coveralls/gowns have been manufactured at schools so far. Approximately 255,864,468 masks, 92,715 gowns, 53,440 gloves, 7,708 covers, 9,771 medical bonnets and 100,192 coveralls have been produced by the Ministry of National Education Directorate General of Lifelong Learning since the beginning of the process as part of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. In science and art centres for the gifted and talented, 152,803 face shields, 430 laryngoscopes, 40 health cabinets were manufactured, and over 1 million surgical masks were produced at special education work- shops of vocational schools. In addition, during the pandemic, prison workshops of the Min- istry of Justice channelled their manufacturing capacity to the areas of need, such as the production of cologne, disinfectant, masks, gloves and coveralls. It was, so to speak, a mobilisation for production in this area. In this regard, the production of 80 vari- eties of materials started. Since the beginning of the fight against the pandemic, a total of 55,235,538 masks, 4,132,482 coveralls, 9,905,985 sponges, and 1,244,176 goggles have been produced. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 97 Ventilator Production and Export During the pandemic, countries have prioritised their own needs and imposed restrictions such as export prohibitions or export permit requirements for ventilators and their criti- cal components, making these devices inconvenient for inter- national procurement. Hence the need for ventilators has in- creased all over the world. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Industry and Technology and with the involvement of the private sector, Türkiye, in a short time, has become a manufacturer and exporter of a medical device on which it depended abroad. 98 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The domestic intensive care ventilator developed by the start- up company BIOSYS, which was established with the support and incentives of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, started mass production under the coordination of the Min- istry and with the involvement of the companies ASELSAN, BAYKAR and ARÇELİK. In this process, approximately 5,000 ventilators have been de- livered by USHAŞ International Health Services Inc. Around 4,000 ventilators labelled “Made in Turkiye” have been export- ed to 20 countries. Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Ecua- dor, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, TRNC, Colombia, Libya, Lebanon, Niger, Nigeria, Romania, and Somalia are among the countries to which domestic intensive care ventilators were ex- ported. Domestic distribution of ventilators started on May 5, 2020, and international distribution on May 14, 2020. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Türkiye, Me- chanical and Chemical Industry Company (MKE) has further increased its capabilities and produced SAHRA Portable Venti- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 99 lator in response to the needs that have arisen both in Türkiye and abroad. Surgical Mask Body Making Machine and Surgi- cal Mask Fully Automated Earloop Welding Machine have also been produced. As part of the fight against the pandemic, vocational and tech- nical training schools and institutions affiliated with the Min- istry of National Education produced a significant number of products ranging from surgical mask making machines to ventilators, UVC air purifiers to N95 standard mask making machines, video laryngoscopes to isolated sample collection booths, non-contact infrared (IR) thermometers to intensive care beds, and delivered them to healthcare institutions. Diagnosis and Diagnostic Systems Within a short period of three months, RNA-based diagnostic kit reference materials for rapid and reliable diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were produced and made available for pur- chase under the codes UME RM 2019 and UME RM 2020. The produced RNA-based reference materials will be both used in the diagnosis of Covid-19 disease by all laboratories in Türkiye and can be included in the kits as a quality control material by kit manufacturers in Türkiye and abroad. Besides, innovative diagnostic kits and systems are being developed by ecosys- tem actors as part of the “Call for the Fight Against Covid-19” launched as part of the TUBITAK 1507 SME R&D Startup Sup- port Programme, specifically for the Covid-19 pandemic, and the TUBITAK 1001 Scientific and Technological Research Proj- 100 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS ects Support Programme. Under the “Call for the Fight Against Covid-19”, ten projects focusing on the diagnosis and diagnos- tic systems have been supported with 4.5 million TL, and an innovative diagnostic kit for Covid-19 was developed under TUBITAK 1001. Hybrid IP camera with thermal and visible light, which was the first product commercialised under the call in the first three months, became a commercial product. The innovative camera developed contributes to the prevention of the uncontrolled spread of the pandemic in society. In addition, RT-qPCR kit, multiplex qPCR diagnostic kit, biosensors, and artificial intel- ligence supported system software are among the diagnostic system-focused project accomplishments. MKE Thermal Camera System MKE Thermal Camera System, which can be used in various ar- eas such as airports, hospitals, public vehicles, shopping malls, educational institutions, prisons, banks, stadiums, military in- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 101 stitutions, critical facilities, and workplaces, has been produced by the MAKSAM Machine and Mask Factory. Drug and Oxygen Production On April 10, 2020, the Drug Factory of the Ministry of National Defence started work on the development of Hydroxychloro- quine Sulphate 200 mg tablets. The laboratory analyses con- ducted by the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency were approved, and 9,600 tablets were produced. In addition, the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate produced and de- livered 100,160 kg of oxygen in response to a request for oxygen from the Kayseri Provincial Health Directorate Production of Disinfectants/Surface Cleaners/Personal Care Products/Cologne BOREL (boron-based hand sanitiser) and BORTAM (boron- based surface disinfectant) production solved the problem of disinfectant supply during the pandemic. In addition, price fluctuations caused by disinfectant demands were avoided, and prices on the market became balanced. Upon the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, mass production of BOREL hand sanitiser was commenced after the R&D process was com- pleted. As part of the fight against the Covid-19, BORTAM was put on the market to disinfect the environment and the surfaces. Throughout this process, 323,060 litres of hand sanitisers were produced by the military factories belonging to the Ministry of National Defence, and 13,758 litres of disinfectant were pro- duced by the Directorate General of Life-long Learning affili- ated to the Ministry of National Education. 102 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Vocation and technical training schools and institutions affili- ated with the Ministry of National Education have produced 2.5 litres of hand sanitisers, 10 million litres of surface cleaners and 110 thousand litres of cologne so far. With the support of the Ministry of Justice in this period, a total of 4,890.69 tonnes of cleaning and personal care prod- ucts as well as 68,517 soaps were produced in the production workshops operating under the prison workshops to produce detergent and personal care products Measures Taken for Medical Equipment Manufacturing Certain measures have been inevitable to solve the problems before or during the manufacture of medical equipment. Use of Ethyl Alcohol Following the outbreak of the pandemic, the demand for disin- fection products and ethyl alcohol has sky-rocketed all over the world. To boost cologne and disinfectant production, Energy Market Regulatory Authority suspended the regulation requiring 3% bioethanol blending in gasoline, which obliges ethyl alcohol manufacturers to supply products to the fuel sector, on March 13, 2020, for three months. As a result, the amount of domestic ethyl alcohol for disinfectant production increased five folds. On March 18, 2020, it was decided to close the student dormitories serving in the TRNC beginning March 22, 2020, until further notice, and this was communicated to both dormitories and students. Cologne Production Starting from the early days of the pandemic, the price of ethyl al- cohol, 350 thousand litres of which are needed daily by the cologne and disinfectant manufacturers, was fixed on March 20, 2020, as a result of negotiations with Konya Şeker (Sugar Factory), Turk Şeker (Sugar Factory), TEZKİM (Agricultural Chemical Industry and Trade Inc.) TARKIM (Tarkim Plant Protection Industry and TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 103 Trade Inc). This alcohol was directed to the largest cologne and disinfectant manufacturers of Türkiye. Mask Production After receiving information about a shortage of masks on the mar- ket and high sales prices, the contact information of mask and mask fabric manufacturers was obtained from the registries in the Industrial Registry Information System kept under the Ministry of Industry and Technology. Both actual capacity and production capacity of companies, as well as the companies, which are not in- cluded in the industrial registry but engaged in mask production, were identified along with their capacities through the provincial directorates across Türkiye. Furthermore, production capacities of factories manufacturing mask fabric were identified along with their products through the industrial registers and on-site visits, and those companies were warned about stocks and sales. A re- striction has been imposed by ensuring that the exportation of masks is subject to prior permission and mask fabric is subject to registration. 104 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Critical steps have been taken in mask production with the as- sistance of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association, Gaziantep Exporters’ Association and other relevant stakehold- ers. Many issues have been resolved, ranging from the fact that the largest textile companies of Türkiye used their production machines for mask production to the fact that industrialists could satisfy the need for raw materials used for masks at fixed prices. To increase the production capacity for surgical masks, the Di- rectorate General of Military Factories of the Ministry of Na- tional Defence supplied eight automatic mask production machines in 2020, increasing the daily production capacity to 500,000 masks. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 105 Distribution of Manufactured Medical Equipment Distribution of Surgical Masks/Medical Gowns/Gloves/ Protective Goggles/Protective Coveralls USHAŞ International Health Services Inc. signed 248 contracts with surgical mask manufacturers and authorised dealers as the only authorised administration due to the scarcity of surgical masks in the world and raised daily distribution from 1 million masks to 25 million masks between March 10 and April 20, 2020. As a result, the supply chain that had collapsed all over the world did fail in our country. Throughout the pandemic, USHAŞ delivered and distributed a total of 106 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 375,800,278 3-layer surgical masks, 15,876,308 FFP2 / N95 masks, 6,504,801 protective coveralls, 2,084,044 protective goggles, 861,157 gowns, 104,613,047 examination gloves. Free Mask Distribution The supply process, which began with satisfying the needs of public hospitals, was later extended to include free distribution of masks to university hospitals, private hospitals, public institu- tions and organisations, industrial organisations and finally, the general public. USHAŞ, the authorised purchaser and distributor of personal protective equipment in the market, increased the daily supply of personal protective equipment and thus contributed to reduc- ing prices. Purchasing guarantee was given, which encouraged the sector to make new investments and use higher production capacity. The supply chain was secured, and raw material was supplied to manufacturers to support uninterrupted production. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 107 Free Distribution of Cologne and Masks to Citizens over the age of 65 In the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic, one of the items in the package of measures announced by President Re- cep Tayyip Erdoğan was the “free distribution of cologne and masks to citizens aged 65 and older”. Hygiene kits containing 200ml cologne and five masks were prepared to be delivered to citizens under the coordination of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and with the support of Türkiye’s largest cologne and alcohol manufacturers, logis- tics companies, public and private organisations. Thanks to the Ministry of Interior’s support for distribution and the Ministry of National Defence for supplies, hygiene kits were delivered to the doors of citizens through Vefa Social Sup- port Groups under the coordination of the governors in charge of 30 metropolises and the Ministry of Industry and Technol- ogy. As a result of this organisation, hygiene kits were delivered to 6.5 million citizens over the age of 65 living in 30 metropo- lises, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Zonguldak. 108 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Türkiye’s Vaccine Trials and Vaccination Programme Turkish Vaccine Institute and Clinical Research Centre The Turkish Vaccine Institute and Clinical Research Centre, of- ficially established on December 12, 2019, began its activities to develop a domestic vaccine and train qualified human resourc- es. The Turkish Vaccine Institute, which was established before the outbreak and became even more strategic as it progressed, reached the final stage of developing a domestic vaccine. Türkiye is at the forefront of Covid-19 vaccine development trials. There are 256 vaccine candidates on the WHO list dat- ed February 26. 74 of those trials are in the clinical stage, and 182 are in the preclinical stage. Only 12 days after the first case was confirmed in Türkiye, a call for R&D projects to develop the Covid-19 vaccine was made on March 23, 2020. After that, TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye) completed pre-clinical trials on April 17, 2020, and an- nounced that the applications to be made through the Health Institutes of Türkiye (TUSEB) would be supported. Currently, 16 domestic vaccine trials are being supported in Türkiye. Phase trials have started for 6 of them. Vaccine Supply of Türkiye Türkiye made its first deal on the Covid-19 vaccine for the vac- cine of Sinovac Company (CoronaVac) with the People’s Re- public of China. On February 10, 2021, the Minister of Health announced that another agreement was signed for an addi- tional 50 million doses of the vaccine, and Türkiye already re- ceived approximately 15 million doses of vaccine. Minister of Health Koca emphasised that Türkiye became one of the fast- est-acting countries in the challenging race of vaccine supply. Negotiations for the supply of the vaccine, which was devel- oped in Germany by Turkish-origin Uğur Şahin’s company TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 109 BioNTech in collaboration with the US-based company Pfiz- er (Comirnaty), were concluded on December 24, 2020. In a statement issued on February 10, 2021, Minister of Health Koca stated that the agreement with BionTech covered 4.5 million doses of vaccines (with an “optional” 30 million doses of vaccine), that 4.5 million doses (likely to be rounded up to 5 million) of vaccines would arrive in Türkiye by the end of March, and that over 500,000-800,000 doses of vaccines were expected to arrive on short notice. Fahrettin Koca also ex- pressed an additional demand for 50+50 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine and said that an agreement was reached with two separate vaccine producers for a total of 130 million doses of vaccines. On March 3, 2021, Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca made statements about the findings of Phase III trials of the Sino- vac vaccine in Türkiye. Koca indicated that, according to the findings of Phase III trials in Türkiye, the overall efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine was 83.5%, the vaccine prevented hospitalisa- tion by 100%, and the clinical trial included over 10 thousand volunteers. Vaccine Demands from Türkiye Türkiye receives requests for assistance from other countries for the vaccine supply. Until now, sixteen countries have sought 110 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS vaccine grants from Türkiye. Türkiye has pledged to provide vac- cines to 3 countries. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Palestine, Geor- gia, Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, TRNC, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Mongolia, and Moldova are among the countries demanding vac- cines. Albania, Afghanistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina were given pledges of a vaccine. Türkiye sent 80,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine to the TRNC. The Ministry of Health and other relevant institutions continue their efforts in coordination to dispatch vaccines from Türkiye to vaccinate public officials abroad. Vaccination is ongoing in 95 countries as of February 28, 2021. Al- though Türkiye began vaccination later than many of these coun- tries, vaccination plans are moving forward quickly. From this date forward, Türkiye ranks 5th in terms of the vaccinated population per 100 people. So far, 11 vaccines have been approved for use around the world: Oxford/ AstraZeneca (UK), BionTech/Pfizer (Germany/USA), Sinovac (China), CBBG Beijing (China), Cansino (China), CNBG Wuhan (China), EpiVacCorona (Russia), Sputnik (Russia), Mod- erna (USA), Bharat Biotech Int/ICMR (India), Johnson&Johnson (Belgium). To date, bilateral/multilateral agreements have been signed for a total of 10.2 billion doses of vaccines worldwide, with the EU coun- tries and the USA guaranteeing a total of 6,310 billion doses. Vaccination Schedule Following the conclusion of clinical trials, community vaccina- tion started in Türkiye, with the first vaccine administered to Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca on January 13, 2021. Starting initially with healthcare professionals and then moving on to older age groups, vaccination continues gradually based on age groups in line with the Coronavirus Scientific Board’s decision. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 111 AŞILA (Vaccinate) Application AŞILA, developed by the Ministry of Health to be used for vac- cination, is an application managing the entire process from end-to-end, from vaccine logistics to vaccine administration to citizens. AŞILA application, which can be used in public, pri- vate and university healthcare facilities and makes the vaccina- tion process very fast and easy due to its mobile infrastructure, has made a significant contribution to Türkiye, especially to the vaccination processes in rural areas. The system informs the authorised physician about the supply of vaccines, citizens’ 112 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS vaccination rights, their appointments and allergic diseases. Furthermore, through integrations with major systems such as MHRS (Central Physician Appointment System), e-Nabız (Per- sonal Health Information System), and Vaccine Monitoring System, instant data flow is provided. The vaccine to be admin- istered to citizens can be scanned by the physician in seconds through a square code reader integrated into the system and automatically registered in the system. Drug Trials Three drug molecular modelling and drug development proj- ects; 2 domestic synthetic drug synthesis and production proj- ects; and two convalescent plasma and three recombinant neu- tralising antibody projects are among drug development trials. These trials include biotechnological drug methods as well as drugs developed using chemicals and synthetic processes. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 113 The drug, which contains the active substance Favipiravir and has a key role in the treatment methods used by Turkish physi- cians, was synthesised using domestic and national means and turned into a licensed commercial product under the brand name “Favicovir”. Favicovir, which was synthesised using do- mestic and national means, is still used and effective for the patients. Apart from the project that converted the drug into a commer- cial product, treatment-oriented drug development processes are ongoing successfully. Three of these projects will begin Phase 1/2 clinical trials, and there are three projects undergoing animal experiments. Treatment-Oriented Methods Covid-19 Türkiye Platform Research Team, Leading Institution Phase Domestic Drug Synthesis and Production Istanbul Medipol University Commercial Product / Domestic and National Synthesis Hydroxychloroquine sulfate synthesis TÜBİTAK MAM (Marmara Research Centre) Institute of Chemical Technology Pilot production completed Nature-identical synthetic protein Ankara University Biotechnology Institute Phase 1 To be started Drug Active Substances Ankara University Stem Cell Institute Phase 2 To be started Specific Natural Molecule Synthesis Bahçeşehir University Phase 2 To be started Recombinant Neutralizing Antibody TÜBİTAK MAM Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute Animal Experiments ongoing Sarseptin Antibody Candidate İzmir Biomedicine and Genome Centre Animal Experiments ongoing Recombinant IL-1Ra İstanbul University Animal Experiments ongoing Convalescent Plasma İstanbul Medeniyet University Clinical Stage / Plasma Production Convalescent Plasma Acıbadem Labmed Clinical Laboratories Completed 114 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 115 3.2. Supports and Measures for Economic Stability The Economic Stability Shield package, which was prepared to reduce the effects of the pandemic, was shared with the public on March 18, 2020. After the Economic Stability Shield package was implemented, some additional measures were taken at dif- ferent dates by considering the course of the pandemic and the needs of households. Declaration of Force Majeure and Postponement of Tax Liabilities • Under the regulation made, the declaration periods of the recovery share were designated as six months for 2020 and three months for the following years and postponed. • In the sectors to be considered within the scope of force majeure, the opportunity to postpone with- holding, VAT and premium payments for six months was provided, and more than 2 million taxpayers have benefited from this opportunity. • Taxpayers and members of a profession who are un- der curfew due to being 65 years old or over or having a chronic illness, and those whose declarations/noti- 116 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS fications are made by members of such profession are also deemed to be in force majeure, and their declara- tion and payment obligations have been postponed. • The grace period for withholding, VAT and premium payments has been re-determined in relation to the date on which the force majeure will end. In addition, suspensions were made in the declaration periods. • It was decided to terminate all enforcement and bank- ruptcy proceedings, except for the enforcement pro- ceedings regarding maintenance receivables, until April 2020, and then this period was extended to June 15, 2020. • In the application of postponement-cancellation within the scope of the export exemption, the export periods of the goods delivered by manufacturers to exporters with an exemption from VAT has been ex- tended for three months within the scope of force ma- jeure without any application requirement for those that expire between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020. • Regulations have been made to facilitate VAT refund requests’ fulfilment in the purchase of goods or ser- vices from taxpayers who are covered under force majeure. Tax Rate Discounts • It has been ensured that the part of annual announce- ment and advertisement taxes and annual environ- mental cleaning taxes of the enterprises, whose ac- tivities are suspended or who are unable to operate, which corresponds to the periods when their activi- ties are suspended or when they are unable to oper- ate, were not collected. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 117 • To be applied temporarily until December 31, 2020: • VAT was decreased from 18% to 8% in tradesmen ser- vices subject to general rate such as workplace leas- ing, passenger transport, minor maintenance and re- pair of automotive, motorcycles and bicycles, minor home appliance maintenance and repair, wedding, marriage organisations, house cleaning, mainte- nance and repair, tailoring and dry cleaning; and VAT was reduced from 8% to 1% in food and beverage, cin- ema, theatre, museum and accommodation services. • Under the regulation made on December 23, 2020, the rate reduction in goods and services with the mentioned reduced VAT rates was extended until May 31, 2021. • Workplace rent withholding payable was reduced from 20% to 10%, and the withholding rates to be ap- plied in accordance with the Income Tax Law and Corporate Tax Law on various lease payments were re-determined. • The validity period of the withholding rates tempo- rarily determined on December 22, 2020, has been extended for five months, starting from January 1, 2021, until May 31, 2021. • The VAT rate in education and training services to be provided by private education and training institu- tions such as pre-school education, primary school, secondary school, high school, university and colleg- es, etc., has been reduced from 8% to 1%. • The VAT rate in import and delivery of Covid-19 vac- cines approved by the Ministry of Health has been re- duced to 1% until December 31, 2021 (date included). 118 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • The withholding rates to be made on some earnings and revenues have been amended. Support Payments Made • A monthly support payment of 1,000 TL, namely, 1,000 TL, began to be made to those whose commercial earn- ings are determined simply, to the tax-exempt trades- men, and other tradespeople, and artisans and natural person merchants. It is envisaged that taxi, minibus and service operators, marketers, tailors, auto repair shops, restaurants, patisseries, men and women hairdressers, hostels, dormitories, kindergartens and wedding hall operators will benefit from such supports to be provid- ed as grants. • Three-month lease support has been initiated for tradespeople whose workplace is rent, and the amount of support is 750 TL in metropolitan cities and 500 TL in other cities. • Turnover loss support has been initiated for business- es such as restaurants, diners and cafes in the food and beverage sector whose activities are restricted. 39,059 taxpayers were included in the scope of such support. Measures Taken and Support Made within the Scope of the Trea- sury-Backed Credit Guarantee System • The Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF) limit has been in- creased from 25 billion TL to 50 billion TL, providing easy access to financing for businesses and citizens ex- periencing collateral shortages. Various loan packages have entered into force under the KGF: • Continuation Support Package, • OPEX Loan Support Package, TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 119 • Check Payment Support Package, • Eximbank Loan Support Package, • Basic Needs Loan Support Packages • Basic Needs Loan Packages worth 44.3 billion TL in total were offered to citizens affected by the pandem- ic to meet their basic needs. • TOBB Nefes Loan Support Package has been put into effect. • Eximbank Stock Support Package has been put into effect. • The opportunity to benefit from support packages of 30 billion TL was made available through Türk Ex- imbank. • Credit Support Package of Investment and Develop- ment Bank of Türkiye entered into force on July 14, 2020. • The Financing Support Package was put into effect on August 27, 2020. • In the tourism sector, a Tourism Support Package of 10 billion TL has been implemented to reduce the pandemic’s effects and support the protection of pro- duction and employment. • Micro Enterprises Support Package has entered into force. • Thanks to the announced pandemic period pack- ages, the financing needs of approximately 345 thou- sand enterprises and seven million citizens were met with the Treasury guarantee. • Within the scope of these packages, 322 billion TL of loan have been offered with total guarantees of 261 billion. 120 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Measures to Maintain and Support Financial Stability • The delay time of 30 days envisaged for transfer- ring the loans to the second group, in other words, to close monitoring accounts, was increased to 90 days, but sufficient provisions were required to re- flect the risk. • Nearly 2.5 million taxpayers have benefited from the flexibility provided by the deferral of income tax and VAT declarations and payments of March 2020 until April 2020. • The delay time of 90 days envisaged for transferring the loans to follow-up accounts has been increased to 180 days. However, sufficient provisions were re- quired to reflect the risk. • The number of delay days had also been extended for the nonbank financial sector. The application ended on December 31, 2020. • To prevent the misuse of the support and loan pro- grammes implemented by banks and increase the efficiency of the implementation, the banks were instructed not to use them except for the current or near-term needs of the customer or the activities for the purpose of the loan. Measures to Protect and Support the Real Sector and Citizens • The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye has taken additional measures to enhance the monetary transmission mechanism against the economic and financial effects of the coronavirus and to support the companies exporting goods and services. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 121 • Necessary facilities were provided, including offering additional financing support to the companies and natural persons whose cash flow was disrupted due to the measures related to the Covid-19 pandemic and deferring the principal and interest payments of the loans made available for them for a minimum of three months upon the request of customers. • It was enabled to postpone the principal and interest payments of consumer and vehicle loans made avail- able by banks, financial leasing, factoring and financ- ing companies until December 31, 2020, upon custom- ers’ request. • By determining the minimum amount in credit cards as 20% of the period debt, banks have been enabled to postpone the card debts of their customers and to de- fine grace periods by not demanding their receivables from cardholders, including the minimum amount, during the period when they postpone their card debts. The application has been extended until June 30, 2021. • The credit card limit, which was determined as 1,300 TL for people who could not declare their average income or whose average income could not be determined by banks, was increased to 2,000 TL, and flexibility was made available that the provisions regarding the termi- nation of the use of credit cards, for which minimum payment amount is not paid three times in a year, may not be implemented until the end of 2020. • Within the scope of the “Economic Stability Shield Programme,” the opportunity of remote-identification without the need to go the bank regarding the loans to be given by the commercial banks with public capital to individual customers with a household income of 5,000 TL or less to enable them to finance their basic needs under favourable conditions. 122 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Public Banks’ Support Halkbank • Those who do not make the payments of instalment, interest and principal until March 31, 2020, were en- abled to postpone their payments for this period. • Corporate card limits of companies were increased. • Additional card limit equal to the cost of employees’ salaries was provided to the companies during the three-month period, on condition that they do not decrease the number of their employees. • The grace period was extended up to 12 months in sectors with periodic activities such as tourism. • The opportunity to restructure their loans with a maturity term with a grace period of up to six months were offered to bank customers. • “Business and financial support” and “paraf mer- chant card support” packages were implemented for merchants. Ziraat Bank • Those who fail to make payments of instalment, in- terest and principal until March 31, 2020, were of- fered the opportunity to postpone their payments for this period. • Corporate card limits of companies were increased. • Additional card limit equal to the cost of employees’ salaries was provided to the companies during the three-month period, on condition that they do not decrease the number of their employees. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 123 • The grace period was extended up to 12 months in sectors with periodic activities such as tourism. • The current loans were restructured with a grace period of up to six months. Vakıf Bank • Instalment and credit card payments of personal loan customers will be able to be deferred for up to three months. • “Check Payment Support Loan” was prepared in or- der to ensure that the checks made out by custom- ers in the fields of Corporate, Commercial and SME are paid. • Flexibility was introduced for all principal and in- terest payments up to June 30, 2020, including com- panies’ end of the quarter of interest rates on March 31, 2020. • The cash management limits of the companies were increased, and the payments to be made at these limits were provided with a three-month grace pe- riod and up to 12 months of instalments. • Sector-oriented loans, including tourism and inner- city public transportation, were restructured for up to a 12-month grace period. • The businesses were provided with a long-term loan equal to the salary cost of three months. • “Stay in business” credit package was granted to all companies affected by the pandemic. 124 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Lease Fees from Commercial Units on Allocated Treasury Real Estates • A measure has been put into effect for deducting, re- turning or offsetting the rental fees of the leases cor- responding to the non-operating period of the com- mercial units leased by the administration on the Treasury real estates and the places where the Min- istry of Internal Affairs has decided not to operate; in the case of commercial units maintaining their operations, for deducting, returning and offsetting by re-determining the rent amount, taking into ac- count the changes in the number of personnel and the operating periods. Approximately 29 thousand 267 commercial units will be able to benefit from this measure applied. Treasury Real Estate Tenders • Sale and lease tenders for Treasury real estates were suspended in April and May. Mass Housing Payments • In order to prevent the house buyers from having difficulty in payment, the instalments of April 2020 and May 2020 of those who bought housing from TOKI were postponed, and these instalments were collected in six equal instalments by adding them to the existing instalments without an increase, start- ing from July 2020. Approximately 234 thousand house buyers benefited from this measure. • While the rules on determining the beneficiaries of the 100 Thousand Social Housing Project were de- termined in the presence of a notary public, within the scope of Covid-19 measures, the online lots were TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 125 made live in the presence of the notary public, and the beneficiaries of 64,524 houses were determined. Support Provided for Local Governments • During the Covid-19 pandemic, İller Bank provided a loan of 1.2 billion TL with low interest, 36-month instalments, no principal payment for three months, in line with their demands, to 433 local governments which had difficulties in paying personnel salaries and for urgent current expenses. Land Registry and Cadastre Operations • The applications to be made to the Land Registry and Cadastre Directorates started to be made on the Web-tapu system (https://webtapu.tkgm.gov. tr), which have been put into effect as of March 18, 2020, and operation (appointment) requests (in- cluding foreign nationals) via the Alo-181 call centre or online at www.tkgm.gov.tr. Manual applications to the Land Registry and Cadastre Directorates without an appointment have been cancelled. In the case of applications received through the Web-tapu system, citizens were allowed to come to the direc- torates only at the signature stage. • In accordance with the Ministry of Interior’s Supple- mentary Circular on the Curfew for Citizens Aged 65 and Over and with Chronic Illnesses, dated March 22, 2020, those who have a travel document issued by an administrative authority have been provided with permit documents upon their request. • Individual requests for information and documents from citizens, lawyers, appraisers, etc., are provided from the address https://webtapu.tkgm.gov.tr/. 126 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Instruction on the “Decree on the Suspension of Ex- ecution and Bankruptcy Proceedings” was sent to the Regional Directorates on March 25, 2020, within the scope of the measures against Covid-19 regard- ing the land registry operations. • An instruction on “Suspension of Periods within the scope of temporary article 1 of Law no. 7226 on the Amendment of Certain Laws” was sent to the Re- gional Directorates on March 30, 2020, within the scope of the measures against Covid-19. Capital Markets • It was decided to sustain the daily short-selling ban, imposed on February 28, 2020, for shares traded on Borsa Istanbul until further notice. • The transactions of the public offerings of the shares owned by non-public partnerships, which were to be made during the February - May 2021 pe- riod, were facilitated. Supports Provided for the Mining Sector • The declarations of the miners, such as inspection reports, exploration projects, annual reports, and operating projects, which were required to be sub- mitted until the end of April, were postponed and extended until September 30, 2020. • Payment periods of the state rights and the license fees that are of financial obligations were postponed until December 28, 2020. • Declarations such as reports and projects that are required to be submitted by the mining license TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 127 owners and royalty holders who are directly affect- ed by the earthquakes that occurred in Elazığ and Malatya provinces on January 24, 2020, were also extended until September 30, 2020. In addition, the state rights and license payments they are required to make were extended until December 28, 2020. Supports Provided for Underground Coal Enterprises • In 2020, within the scope of the “Communiqué on Support for Employment Costs in Underground Coal Enterprises,” a coal support payment of 247,808,681.31 TL was made to 44 underground lig- nite or hard coal mining enterprises. Supports Provided for the Oil Exploration and Production Sector • State share payments for the period of March 2020 with a deadline of April 30, 2020, were postponed to July 31, 2020, and the deadline for submitting decla- rations was postponed to July 20, 2020. • State share payments for the April 2020 period, with a deadline of May 31, 2020, were postponed to August 31, 2020, and the deadline for submitting declarations was postponed to August 20, 2020. • State share payments for the May 2020 period, with a deadline of June 31, 2020, were postponed to Sep- tember 30, 2020, and the deadline for submitting declarations was postponed to August 20, 2020. • The periods for companies to fulfil their obligations arising from their exploration and operating licens- es were postponed for six months. 128 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Regulations in the Electricity and Natural Gas Market • It was decided not to cut off electricity for three months due to the debt of subscribers over 65 years old, disabled consumers, families of martyrs, retir- ees on disability and war veterans. • During the pandemic, electricity and natural gas of all residential subscribers and small businesses with debts of less than 1000 TL were not cut off. • The Covid-19 pandemic was evaluated as “force ma- jeure”, and within this scope, 3 (three) months of ad- ditional time was given to the legal entities holding pre-licenses or production licenses operating in the electricity market for their periodic obligations. • It has been made possible to invoice by comparison in cases where the electricity meters cannot be read due to the Covid-19 pandemic. • Technical quality measurement devices, which are required to be installed in the network by the end of April every year by electricity distribution com- panies, were allowed to be installed at the declared points until the end of August 2020. • An e-application has been initiated for licenses granted in natural gas license and certificate opera- tions. • In April-May-June 2020 (to be applied for three months), invoicing by comparison was allowed to be made in cases where the electricity meters could not be read due to the Covid-19 pandemic. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 129 Regulations in the Petroleum and LPG Market • In 2020, flexibility in the obligation to blend ethanol with gasoline types was made available to help meet the growing demand for disinfectants and cologne. • An e-application has been initiated for licenses granted in all LPG license operations Measures for Tradesmen and Craftsmen • Income Loss Support and Rent Support are provid- ed to tradesmen and craftsmen, and natural person merchants. In this context; as of February 24, 2021, 1,545,645 people applied for Income Loss Support, which is given as 1,000 TL per month for three months, and 974,639 people had their applications approved; as of February 24, 2021, 766,798 people applied, and 135,098 applications were approved for the Rent Support, which is given for three months as 750 TL per month in metropolitan cities and 500 TL per month in other cities. • It was decided to pay turnover loss support to busi- nesses with the value-added tax obligation, who were operating in the field of food and beverage, maintaining their operations that they had started before or in the calendar year 2019, and having an active duty as of January 27, 2021; with a turnover of 3 million TL or less in the calendar year 2019, and a decrease in turnover by 50% or more in the calendar year 2020 in proportion to the turnover of the afore- mentioned year. In this context, it was decided that the amount to be paid would be 3% of the decreasing amount of the turnover, not less than 2,000 TL and not more than 40,000 TL. 130 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Instalment payments in 2020 of the debts of agricul- tural sales cooperatives loaned by the Support and Price Stability Fund (DFIF), which are restructured and paid in one annual instalment, were postponed to 2021 without interest, and the instalment amounts to be paid in the following years, including 2021, were also postponed for one year, free of interest. • Central Union of Turkish Tradesmen and Crafts- men Credit Guarantee Cooperatives (TESKOMB) has provided the opportunity to restructure the de- layed debts of tradesmen and craftsmen to credit and surety cooperatives due to the pandemic conditions. Approximately 30 thousand tradesmen and crafts- men benefited from this opportunity, and the total amount structured within this scope amounted to 650 million TL. • With the pandemic, 3,095,478 tradesmen and arti- sans were provided with a Treasury interest sup- ported loan of 163 billion TL in total until January 31, 2021. • From January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, 984,937 tradesmen and craftmen were provided with a to- tal of 42.6 billion TL of Treasury interest supported loans. Included in the aforementioned data, 760,071 tradesmen and craftsmen were provided with a new business loan with the interest support of the Trea- sury, totalling 18.8 billion TL within the framework of the Tradesmen Support Package implemented within the scope of the “Economic Stability Shield” measures in the period of March 11, 2020 - February 5, 2021. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 131 • Repayment of the loans totalling 3 billion 397 million TL of 456,238 tradesmen and craftsmen to Halkbank with the Treasury interest rate discount, which was to expire in the period of April 1, 2020 - June 30, 2020, were postponed for three months. • A three-month postponement opportunity was pro- vided for 371,858 tradesmen and craftsmen in their loan repayments to Halkbank, with a total amount of 2 billion 286 million TL, which were to expire in the period of July 1, 2020 - September 30, 2020, with the postponed portion to be distributed to the remaining total without a change in the number of instalments. • In addition, a six-month postponement opportunity has been provided for the loan repayments of trades- men and craftsmen to Halkbank, which will expire in the period from January 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021. As a result of the aforementioned postponement pro- gramme, it is predicted that the loan repayment of approximately 1 million 161 thousand tradesmen and craftsmen totalling 11.9 billion TL will be postponed. • With the decisions on postponement taken due to the pandemic in 2020, the balance of 5.6 billion TL from the Treasury interest supported loans of tradesmen and craftsmen was included in the scope of post- ponement, 828 thousand tradesmen benefited from the postponements, and approximately 600 million TL were transferred from the budget. • Under the third postponement decision published in February 2021, it is estimated that the debt of 1,161,892 tradesmen totalling 13 billion TL will be postponed in 2021, and approximately 400 million TL will be transferred from 2021 budget. 132 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 133 3.3. Protection of Work and Social Life Many measures were taken and support provided to eliminate adverse effects of the pandemic on working life and social life, and, in this context, within the framework of Social Protection Shield, which covers all citizens in all processes related to individuals, families and society, the total amount of relief directly delivered to citizens has exceeded 53 billion TL as of March 1, 2021. Short-time Working Allowance • During the pandemic, the coverage of short-time working allowance was expanded, its preconditions were facilitated, and the whole process was acceler- ated. • A short-time working allowance totalling 27.7 billion TL was distributed to 3.7 million employees during this period. • The practice, which was started for a period of three months in March 2020, was allowed to continue un- til March 31, 2021. 134 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Restrictions on Termination of Employment Contracts • Restrictions on termination of employment con- tracts were regulated within the framework of the measures taken for employers to protect employ- ment and maintain the production supply chain. • The newly imposed restrictions on termination of employment contracts will be removed on March 17, 2021. Cash Wage Support • Cash wage support payments were initiated for the employees who fail to meet the criteria to receive a short-time working allowance and are placed on un- paid leave. • Within this framework, a total amount of approxi- mately 8.3 billion TL was paid to 2.5 million employ- ees in cash wage support. Unemployment Allowance • Within the scope of the unemployment allowance, a total amount of approximately 5.1 billion TL was paid to 995 thousand citizens. Normalisation Support • Employers are encouraged to stop the short-time working scheme and return quickly to the normal working scheme. • Private sector businesses returning to the normal working scheme were provided with insurance pre- mium settlement relief up to three months based on minimum wage pro-rata their benefit from the short-time working allowance. • Within the framework of normalisation support, a total amount of 3.5 billion TL was paid in the settle- ment of premium balances. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 135 Compensatory Working • In order to ensure continuity of employment, the current time regulation of two months was increased to four months. “Fast Return to Work” Incentive • It was regulated within the framework of facilita- tion of fast return to work that in the event that per- sons who became unemployed were employed again within 90 days and worked for at least 12 months, their long-term insurance premiums during the pe- riod of unemployment would be covered. Help and Support for Returning to Work • Within the framework of help and support for re- turning to work, the following options were regu- lated to be applicable in the event that they became unemployed between January 1, 2019, and April 17, 2020, and applied for re-employment by the same employer until December 31, 2020: • If the employer employs the applicant and the employee works actively, the employer will be provided with a premium support payment of 53.67 TL per day; • If the employer employs the applicant and places the employee on unpaid leave, she/he will be provided with a cash wage support payment of 47.70 TL per day, • If the employer rejects the application of the applicant, she/he will be provided with a tem- porary workforce support payment of 41.75 TL per day. Surplus Employment Incentive • Within the framework of surplus employment in- 136 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS centive, employers who employ persons over the le- gal number of insured employees between January 1, 2019, and April 17, 2020, will be paid daily 53.67 TL for every person so employed, and they will be paid 53.67 TL per day if they are placed on unpaid leave. Additional Employment Incentive • Additional Employment Incentive provided for em- ployers who offer employment in addition to the av- erage number of insured employees of the previous year was extended until December 31, 2022. Premium Support Payment for Persons Holding Women, Youth and Professional Competence Certificate • The incentive provided for persons holding women, youth and professional competence certificate was extended until December 31, 2022. Employment Incentives • A total of 22 distinct insurance premium incentives, supports and reductions were put in place to protect and increase employment. • A total of 73 billion TL in incentives have been pro- vided, including the measures taken to protect em- ployment as part of Social Protection Shield, since the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020 - Janu- ary 2021). Occupational Health and Safety • From the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandem- ic, over 45 thousand occupational health and safety professionals were mobilised on the ground in order to prevent the spread of the disease in workplaces. • Guides, videos and checklists that include measures specific to 28 different sectors and areas of work, es- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 137 pecially the sectors with a high risk of contamina- tion, were made available to all parties. Insurance Premium Deferral • Employers and employees have been supported by deferring insurance premium payments due to di- sasters such as earthquakes and floods in 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic. • A total of 40 billion TL in premium debt of 1.3 mil- lion businesses was deferred for six months. • The total amount of 2.8 billion TL in premium debts of metropolitan municipalities, municipalities and affiliated organisations was deferred for three months. • The total amount of 1.5 billion TL in premium debts of employers and insured employees residing in Elazığ, Malatya and Giresun provinces hit by natu- ral disasters was deferred, and the opportunity was provided for such persons to make their payments in interest-free instalments. • The total amount of insurance premiums deferred reached 44.3 billion TL within this framework. Debt Restructuring • In order to provide ease of payment to indebted citi- zens and employers, the opportunity of debt restruc- turing was provided under Law no. 7256 in Novem- ber. • In this context, our citizens who had debts to the So- cial Security Institution were provided with the op- portunity to have their debts until August 2020 re- structured on the condition that they apply until February 1 for deferral. 138 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • In this context, a total of two million persons ben- efited from debt restructuring and a total amount of 100 billion TL was provided in restructuring. Retirement Pensions • The minimum retirement pension that was increased to 1.000 TL in 2019 was increased to 1.500 TL. Convalescent Plasma Treatment • The convalescent plasma treatment recommended by the WHO against the Covid-19 pandemic was in- cluded in the coverage provided by the Social Secu- rity Institution. ICU Treatment Costs • The coverage of ICU treatment costs was doubled with the regulation made in the Health Implementa- tion Communiqué. Health Reports • In order to facilitate the lives of people with disabili- ties and chronic patients, the validity period of their expired health reports and prescriptions were ex- tended. Incapacity to Work Allowance • Incapacity to work allowance was regulated to be paid to those holding a Covid-19 diagnosis and quar- antine report, which can also be issued in electronic form by filiation teams. • A total of 2 billion TL was paid in temporary incapac- ity to work allowance during the pandemic period. Payment Relief for Coronavirus Treatment • Regulations were made to provide an additional pay- ment of 660 TL per day for hospitals serving for each patient diagnosed with Covid-19. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 139 • Regulations were made for drugs and medication used for the treatment of Covid-19 in intensive care to be invoiced and paid by the Social Security Insti- tution. • Regulations were put in place for our citizens to be exempt from paying a patient share and additional fees in pandemic cases that were included in force majeure. • Costs and fees arising from Covid-19-related testing, treatment and care services covered under the Gen- eral Health Insurance exceeded 7.2 billion TL. Declaration of Force Majeure • The pandemic period was declared to be part of force majeure in order to include not only persons who meet the criteria to be considered in need but also those persons who are in periodic need to be covered under social assistance. Social Support Programme for the Pandemic • A total amount of over 6.5 billion TL was paid in cash relief of 1.000 TL to 6.5 million households. Periodical Share • The amount of “periodical share” resource transfer made regularly every month was increased from 135 million TL to 180 million TL to enable Social Assis- tance and Support Foundations to sustain their so- cial aid activities. • In addition, an additional periodical share transfer amount of 902 million TL was made to ensure the provision of further aid to citizens during the pan- demic period. 140 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Social Assistance Programmes • Within the scope of combating the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, steps were taken to protect the vulnerable groups who were more likely to be affected by the pandemic period by increasing the amount of certain social assistance programmes. Project on Accommodation of Rough Sleepers • Accommodation in public guesthouses or hotels- hostels was offered for persons who, for various rea- sons, have become homeless or who have no place to go. • For the project for which 6 million TL was allocated in 2020, 15 million TL was allocated for 2021. “We Are Self-Sufficient, Türkiye” National Solidarity Cam- paign • President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in his Address to the Nation following the Presidential Cabinet Meet- ing on March 30, 2020, announced that an aid ac- count was created by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services in order to provide additional support to the low-income citizens who had to suf- fer from the measures taken against the pandemic and launched the “We Are Self-Sufficient, Türkiye” National Solidarity Campaign in the fight against Covid-19. The campaign also aims to coordinate the needs of people who might suffer from victimi- sation due to the measures taken in this period to meet their needs more effectively. Within the scope of the campaign, over 2 billion TL of aid was collect- ed, and these aids were delivered to the households in need. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 141 Social Isolation Organisations • For women, children, people with disabilities, the elderly and all our citizens in need, 89 social isola- tion organisations were set up with a total capacity of 2,130 beds in 67 provinces. • In 14 provinces, isolation floors were set up in exist- ing organisations. • People discharged from a hospital, people returning from leave, and people with disabilities and elder- ly people to be admitted to a new accommodation place were accommodated at these organisations. • Legal regulations were put in place for such isola- 142 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS tion organisations to provide services for our elder- ly citizens and citizens with disabilities regardless of their income level and disability level. Services for Children • Necessary cleaning measures were taken, and visits were restricted in children’s organisations. • Services of private nurseries holding a licence, day- care centres and children’s clubs were suspended between March 16, 2020, and June 1, 2020. Services for Elderly People and People with Disabilities • The working scheme of 10-14-day fixed overnight was introduced for the staff working in institutions who serve people with disabilities and elderly peo- ple, and PCR testing was conducted on such staff before the beginning of the shift. • People with disabilities and the elderly were en- abled to engage in physical activities, leisure time activities, cognitive skills improvement activities, in addition to daily life activities, to enable them to de- velop strategies to fight against Covid-19. • Thanks to the strict measures taken, Türkiye was considered by the WHO as an example for best prac- tices in centres for people with disabilities and el- derly people. Services for Women • No interruption has been allowed to take place in the provision of services at women’s guesthouses and the TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 143 Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centre (ŞÖNİM) since the beginning of the detection of the first cases during the Covid-19 period. • In addition to the existing institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services, 65 facilities in 49 provinces were used for accommoda- tion. A total of 1,450 women and their children were referred to such facilities for accommodation. • A prioritisation process was started for women in line with the increased number of calls made to Alo 183 for Social Support Line due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 144 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 145 3.4. Continuous and Distance Education After the detection of the first coronavirus case in Türkiye, face- to-face education was suspended in the scope of the measures taken in order to protect public health. However, Türkiye was among the leading countries across the world that have transi- tioned to distance education. Thus, with the implementation of an exemplary distance education model, education has con- tinued uninterruptedly in our country. With the controlled nor- malisation following the spring, the opportunity for face-to- face education emerged in the new school year. However, with the increase of cases, distance education was reintroduced. Fi- nally, as of March, steps have been taken to start face-to-face education again. In line with the decisions taken after the Pres- idential Cabinet Meeting on March 1, 2021, the implementation of on-site decision-making was initiated on a provincial basis in education and training as in every field. In this context, • As of March 2, 2021, face-to-face education has started throughout the country in all pre-school ed- ucation institutions, primary schools, and 8th and 12th grades. • In provinces defined as low and medium risk, face- to-face education has started in all pre-school ed- ucation institutions, primary schools, secondary schools and high schools. 146 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Face-to-face education in provinces defined as low and medium risk started; • Full-time in pre-school education institutions, • Two (2) days a week in diluted classes in primary schools, • Two (2) days a week in diluted groups in the 5th, 6th, 7th grades of secondary schools, • 12-22 hours a week in diluted groups in the 8th grades of secondary schools, • Two (2) days a week in diluted groups in the prepa- ration classes, 9th, 10th, 11th grades of high schools, • 16-24 hours a week in diluted groups in the 12th grade of high schools. Face-to-face education in provinces defined as high and very high risk started • Full-time in pre-school education institutions, • Two (2) days a week in diluted groups in primary schools, • 12-22 hours a week in diluted groups in the 8th grades, • 16-24 hours a week in diluted groups in the 12th grades, • Special education schools and classes serving stu- dents with special needs have started full-time face- to-face education throughout the country. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 147 • Education at all school levels and grade levels, to start the face-to-face education, started on Tuesday, March 2. • As of Monday, March 8, exams in high schools has been started to be held face-to-face in all provinces within the framework of pandemic measures. • Decisions in place in villages and sparsely populat- ed settlements were continued to be implemented in educational institutions. • Distance education continues in applications out- side the scope of face-to-face education. Participa- tion in face-to-face education is carried out in all provinces, subject to the consent of the parents. Distance Education After public health was prioritised with the pandemic, no face- to-face education was possible due to restrictions. The continu- ation of education, which is a social right, is the duty of every state. Türkiye is one of the first countries during the pandemic to implement distance education in the world. Distance educa- tion in Türkiye was carried out on different platforms accord- ing to the level of education. • TRT EBA TV Channels: TRT EBA Primary School, TRT EBA Secondary School and TRT EBA High School. • EBA Digital Education Platform: www.eba.gov.tr website and its contents. 148 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • EBA Academic Support (ADES): It is an exam prep- aration platform that provides feedback to students with artificial intelligence support for 11th and 12th grade students preparing for the university exam. • EBA Live Classes: It is an application where teach- ers can teach synchronously with their classes via eba.gov.tr. • EBA Professional Development: It is an application where teachers can access online professional de- velopment contents synchronously and asynchro- nously via eba.gov.tr. • EBA Assistant: It is a virtual support robot that pro- vides 24/7 instant answers to the questions of EBA website users with its artificial intelligence infra- structure. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 149 TRT EBA TV and EBA Digital Platform Contents • Within the scope of the cooperation with TRT for all grade levels (1 - 12), TRT EBA TV (TRT EBA Primary School, TRT EBA Secondary School and TRT EBA High School) channels, as 3HD and 3SD channels, started broadcasting on March 23, 2020. • More than 1,000 teachers worked in front of and behind the camera in 13 television studios for television broad- casts between March 23, 2020, and February 19, 2021. In this context, a total of 10,000 course contents and 982 ex- tracurricular activities were prepared in many areas such as physical education, games, music, guidance, smart break, hobbies, experiments, special education aware- ness, family activities, time for teachers and parents. • A total of 12,415 hours of broadcasting took place from television channels between March 23, 2020, and Feb- ruary 19, 2021. • As of June 29, 2020, “Summer School” programs, which lasted nine weeks and ended on August 28, has been broadcast on EBA and TRT EBA TV channels. • The “English Summer School” course package for sec- ondary school students has been added into the stream on the EBA platform as of July 1. • For the 2020-2021 academic year, all of the content broadcast on TRT EBA TV channels started to be broadcast with sign language translation in accordance with the principles of inclusiveness and accessibility in education. • In the scope of the Production with Informatics Pilot Implementation, a total of 314 activities were produced for 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grade students at the primary and secondary school level and broadcast on EBA. 150 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Digital contents for the 1-4th grade curriculum have been prepared to support music lessons with dis- tance education. A digital instrument has been cre- ated and put on digital stores. • The digital contents of the museum education and professional development course have been prepared for the Topkapı Palace Museum and Pera Museum. • The “Gray Walnut” application has been offered to all teachers and students free of charge. • The platform infrastructure established to enable public education courses to be held remotely has been combined with EBA (hboakademi.eba.gov.tr). • EBA sub-portal has been created for basic training contents (tegmmateryal.eba.gov.tr). TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 151 • More than 20,000 new course contents, more than 2,000 EBA Library contents, more than 200 supple- mentary resource books, more than 200 new course references have been added to EBA. The number of courses in EBA has been increased from 1,600 to 1,900, and the number of contents has been in- creased from 40,000 to 60,000. • Audio-depicted versions of distance education con- tents for visually impaired students and content with lectures in Braille are added weekly. • Distance education infrastructure studies have been carried out. The total live lecture capacity has been increased to 3 million lessons per day. • In the Ümitköy data centre, new hardware with larg- er capacities has been integrated into the system. New Features of EBA Platform • All videos broadcast on TRT EBA TV channels have also been added to the EBA digital platform so that they can always be on hand for students. • With capacity increases, it has been ensured that 865 thousand users can be served simultaneously. • The EBA Live Classroom feature was released on April 13, 2020. • On September 22, 2020, the EBA Live Class feature was made available to all grade levels, and the quota was increased. • With these improvements, it is possible to assign nine lessons per day to all levels and 54 hours per week. These numbers are kept high in order to have 152 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS alternatives. (These numbers are also higher than the maximum daily and weekly hours of live les- sons determined by the Board of Education accord- ing to school levels.) • Improvements have been made to allow users to participate in live lessons from all platforms (mo- bile, web). • To meet the demand for immigrant students living in Türkiye and Turkish students living abroad, the feature of assigning Live Lessons not only to classes but also to groups formed by the school administra- tion/teachers has been developed. • Live practice exams were held before the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) for 12th grade students from the EBA Academic Support platform. • The opportunity to conduct EBA Live Lessons from interactive boards installed with Pardus has also been made available to teachers. Activities Supporting Distance Education • For every field that users may need for the distance education process, help videos were shot and broad- cast on “How? EBA” pages and YouTube channel. • Five different teachers training were prepared and made available to all teachers via EBA Profession- al Development Area. These courses have reached 583,610 teachers since March 2020. • The opportunity of free access to EBA (6GB and 8GB) content has been increased in agreement with GSM operators providing services in Türkiye. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 153 • An EBA control centre and call centre operating 24/7 were established on March 28, 2020. • EBA Assistant, an online help system, was put into use on April 13, 2020, in order to respond quickly to users’ questions. • The “EBA Parent Information System” service has been added to the e-government portal. • Webinars and MOOC-based training were held within the scope of eTwinning, FCL and Scientix Projects, and 834,644 teachers benefited from this training. • Within the scope of digital game development, 3D design and innovative idea development under the Production with Informatics Pilot Implementation, the target audience of six remote education activi- ties was approximately 330 information technology teachers and 41,000 students. • EBA Support Points have been established to pro- vide access to EBA for students who do not have ac- cess to computers and the Internet. (14,757 centres and 176 mobile support vehicles as of February 24, 2021). • The distribution of 512,000 tablet computer sets, to- gether with a 25 GB quota Internet package with a 4.5G GSM sim card, was completed in order to pro- vide distance education opportunities to students who cannot continue their distance education due to unfavourable socioeconomic conditions. 154 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • 90 thousand webcams were procured and distrib- uted to schools to help teachers conduct live lessons using interactive boards and whiteboards. • As of March 23, 2020, the distance education statis- tics are prepared under the heading “Distance Edu- cation by Numbers” and shared with the public on a weekly basis. • In order to provide more comprehensive distance education and provide it with more users simultane- ously from EBA, “Safe Schooling and Distance Edu- cation Project” with a budget of USD 160 million and lasting for three years has been initiated. Primary Education School Adaptation and Vocational Preparation • In the 2019-2020 academic year, a work plan was prepared to eliminate the learning deficits of the students on subjects that could not be handled face- to-face and sent to schools on August 28, 2020. Gradual and Diluted Face-to-Face Education • Considering the pandemic process, face-to-face ed- ucation has been started only in pre-school educa- tion and 1st-grade primary school as of September 21, 2020. • Written consent of the parent who did not want to send their child to school for face-to-face education was obtained, and the student was not considered absent. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 155 • In line with the recommendations of the Scientif- ic Board, in planning, the priority has been given to pre-school, 1st and 8th-grade primary school stu- dents who are preparing for the High School En- trance Examination (LGS) for them to receive face- to-face education. • The two-week mid-term break was extended to three weeks due to the pandemic. Supply of Supplementary Resources • The material platform tegmmateryal.eba.gov.tr was created and published on the EBA Platform. All textbooks, teaching materials and digital contents in use have been published on the site, and approxi- mately 3,400 pieces of content have been uploaded to the mentioned site. 156 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • 17 workbooks were distributed to students in a specially designed folder bag and published elec- tronically, especially for students in schools where unified classroom practice was carried out in rural areas. • At the secondary school level, 16 books consisting of 112 fascicles have been prepared and published electronically. • A total of 107 digital content have been prepared for primary and secondary schools in order to support students during the pandemic. • Commissions established in 50 Provincial Direc- torates of National Education are continuing work- books and digital content studies. Approximately 1000 teachers were assigned to the commissions. A digital review system (ydil.tegmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/ panel/) has been created for content review. • A “READING FISH ELECTRONIC AUDIO LIBRARY” was created in order to present primers prepared in a way to support the emotional, social and language development of students in a digital environment to primary school students and was published at https://okuyan-balik.com/. • In order to increase the writing skills of children and support their imagination during the stay at home period, the work named “Home Made Stories from Children” (Children’s Publications Series) has been published consisting of the selected stories sent by students from 81 provinces. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 157 Assessment and Evaluation • While determining the first-semester score of the 2020-2021 academic year, the exams held in the pri- mary school in the 4th grade and the first semester in secondary schools are not included in the score calculation at the end of the semester. However, the scores obtained from the exams made upon the parent’s application were included in the semes- ter score calculation. In the 4th grades of primary school, the semester score was calculated only with the arithmetic average of the participation scores in the class activities. In the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades of secondary school, it was ensured that the semes- ter score was calculated by the arithmetic average of only the participation scores in the class activities and the project scores if any. The report cards were not printed and distributed, but the reports have been made available electronically. • It was ensured that students who have chronic dis- eases themselves or in any of their family members they are staying with were able to take the exam at an appropriate time in the school and an isolated environment. Secondary Education Teaching Materials and Content Development • 664 videos about Science, Culture, Art and Sports were broadcast on the TRT EBA TV High School channel. • All textbooks are made interactive. (97 Interactive textbooks) 158 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • A mobile question bank has been prepared that stu- dents and teachers can always access. It contains 25,000 questions. • Interactive question solutions were prepared and brought together with students at YKS Camp. • An online competition platform has been prepared. • Webinars (Web seminars) have been prepared for students preparing for the university. Teaching Programs and Textbooks • 146 textbooks and educational tools were prepared for the 2020-2021 academic year. • In the 2020-2021 academic year, 11 skill-based activ- ity books and totally 2247 skill-based activities were prepared to be used in 9th grades and published on EBA. • Nine skill-based activity books and totally 980 skill- based activities were prepared for the 10th grades in History, Geography, Philosophy, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Turkish Language and Literature and English courses. • In order to prevent student losses, nine online con- tests, four contests, seven social media activities, four special broadcasts, one webinar were organ- ised, and in addition to these, one digital booklet (23 Days Together) was prepared. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 159 • Supporting and training courses (DYK) have been opened since August 31, 2020, for entrance to high schools and university preparation exams. A “Pan- demic Permit Certificate” has been added to the e- Course Module for the curfew restriction exemption for students, teachers and administrators attending the course. Student Lodgings and Scholarships • Information activities were carried out to 20,488 people in total, including 2,965 administrators, 11,084 instructors and 6,439 auxiliary staff working in official student lodgings affiliated to the Ministry of National Education by the members of the Scien- tific Board and experts. • A guide on the measures to be taken in student lodg- ings has been prepared. • Student lodgings have been put into service within the framework of quarantine practices for the pur- pose of sheltering citizens, healthcare professionals and members of the police. • Due to the pandemic, the system of paying the pocket money of free boarding students through the bank has been introduced. Monitoring and Evaluation • In the event of the prolongation of the global pan- demic that started in the 2nd semester of the 2019- 2020 academic year, considering the possibility of 160 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS carrying out educational activities based on tech- nology, in order to determine the possible malfunc- tions and the measures to be taken in advance, a total of 93,783 people including students, teachers, school administrators and 24,489 parents partici- pated in the survey, and as a result of the evaluation of the survey results, significant progress was made in tablet distribution, EBA support points and im- provement of infrastructure works. Vocational Education Curriculum and Distance Education • 27 fields and 142 branches have been updated, and education in 33 fields and 181 branches has been started in vocational education centre programs. • In Vocational Education Centres, distance learn- ing materials for journeymanship and mastership theoretical exams in 33 fields and 181 branches, and course schedules, course contents, sample tests and exam criteria distance learning materials for jour- neymanship/mastership exams in 7 fields and 50 branches were prepared. • In order not to interrupt the education processes of the students during distance education, primarily 3 million lira resources were transferred, and the in- frastructure of the schools was strengthened. As a result, 6,177 distance education lecture videos were shot. 5,441 of them are broadcast on TRT EBA TV high school channels and EBA Digital Platform. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 161 Special Education Students with Special Educational Needs • “Adaptation Programme for Special Education Students” and “Adaptation Training Guidance Programme for Special Education Students” were prepared, considering that students with special educational needs were not able to receive face-to- face education for a long time. • A total of 1,000 special education contents were prepared on TRT EBA TV primary and secondary school channels. • The “Özelim Eğitimdeyim (I am special, I am in edu- cation)” mobile application, which was held up as an example to other countries by the OECD, was downloaded by 491,387 mobile users and visited ap- proximately 30 million times. • The “EKPSSMEBÖZEL” mobile application was in- troduced, and rich special education contents with questions and lectures were provided to individuals who would take the Disabled Public Personnel Se- lection Exam (EKPSS). • Twenty digital applications related to special educa- tion were released on EBA and mobile applications. • The “I Read and Write Based on Sound” education material set consisting of 6 books for stage students was completed and published digitally; 5,000 cop- ies of the set were printed and sent to schools. • The “Fun Learning Box” education set for pre-school special education students and the “Teacher’s Road 162 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Map in Inclusive Education” book for their teach- ers were published digitally, printed and sent to all schools. • “Turkish Sign Language: Book 1, 2 and 3” was made interactive and published on EBA’s website, a digital Turkish sign language dictionary was prepared, and sign language videos of 5,040 words were made ac- cessible. • The “I am Learning How to Read and Write Set for Hearing Impaired Students” set was completed and published digitally. • 400 “Orbit Reader - Braille Display, Book Reader and Note Taker”, which enables visually impaired students to convert any source to audio and take notes, continue to be distributed. • 170 course contents with audio description for visu- ally impaired students were prepared and broadcast on the EBA platform. • Teachers voluntarily carried out distance education activities and provided contents within the scope of the “Framework Programme for the Summer Vaca- tion”. • “Special Children’s Calendar of Fun Activities” (ÖÇEET) was published on digital platforms. • The “Are you ready?” quiz show, which includes ac- tivities involving cultural and sports skills for hear- ing, visually or mentally impaired students, was broadcast on TRT EBA TV during the summer vaca- tion. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 163 • Social media accounts were created with the user- name «mebozelegitim». Informative videos for families, EBA TV content, announcements, etc., are shared on these accounts. • A set of 24 interactive books for students receiving inclusive/integrated education was published at orgm.meb.gov.tr/uyet. Gifted Students • As of the second academic term, the videos prepared with teachers from 16 different branches are planned to be broadcast on TRT EBA TV under the Science and Arts time once a week. Counselling Service • 38,548,968 counselling and psychological counsel- ling services were provided to students by school counselling services and counselling and research centres (RAM). • Within the consultancy services, teachers, students and parents were supported with 51,303,169 counsel- ling and psychological counselling services in total. • Informative activities regarding psychoeduca- tional programs for the pandemic were carried out for teachers/administrators and parents through school counsellors/psychological counsellors work- ing at schools. In this context, 552,639 teachers and 3,479,428 parents were reached. The programme was completed by applying face-to-face and distance ed- ucation modes to 6,500,000 students. 164 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • “Elif and Alp: The Psychoeducational Activities for Children Series 1, 2 and 3” were prepared and print- ed for pre-school and primary school students. In addition, the 4th book of “Elif and Alp: The Psycho- educational Activities for Children” series, namely “School Excitement”, was prepared digitally on the occasion of going back to schools. • “Maintaining Our Psychological Resilience During the Pandemic - A Guide for Parents to Help Their Children” was published. • The digital psychosocial support programme was introduced at http://orgm.meb.gov.tr/psikososyaldi- jitaldestek. • The “Special Education Kids” journal was made available digitally. • For the 2020-2021 academic year, “Informed Use of Technology and Psychological Resilience” was determined as the general aim in providing coun- selling and psychological counselling services in schools. Life-long Learning • Approximately 800,000 international students studying at schools affiliated to the Ministry of Na- tional Education receive education via TRT EBA TV and Educational Informatics Network (EBA). TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 165 Material Support for Foreign Students • In March 2020, 35,000 copies of the “Life-long Turk- ish: Book 1, 2 and 3” set were printed and distributed in 55 provinces, where foreign students mostly re- sided, in cooperation with the UNHCR. • A total of 75,504 Syrian and disadvantaged Turkish students were distributed training sets in order to provide support to those who continued distance education or did not have the opportunity to receive distance education due to the Covid-19 pandemic. • A total of 112,017 Turkish teaching books, 60,403 of which were Turkish Practice Books for Foreigners, and 266,614 Salih’s Story Series were printed for in- ternational students. The books have been distrib- uted to international students in 55 provinces as of August 2020. Informative Activities • Within the framework of the Covid-19 pandemic, 84,716 Arabic and 15,101 Turkish brochures were sent to foreign families in 55 provinces in order to in- form students and parents about the hygiene rules published by the Ministry of Health and to ensure in- ternational students’ access to distance education. • In August and between November - December 2020, 240 teachers who teach Turkish to students between the ages of 6-13 were trained by experts on effec- tive methods for distance teaching of the Turkish language, supporting the well-being of students re- motely in cases of disasters and emergencies, cop- ing with stress and health measures that could be taken in classrooms during the Covid-19. 166 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Distance Education • Distance education applications have started with 12 life-long learning institutions as of December 2, 2020. • In this context, a hygiene training course pro- gramme was initiated for those working in the food and water sectors, which is crucial for public health and hygiene. • Within the scope of the “Language Education for Adults” project, language training continues with a blended learning model at hboakademi.eba.gov.tr. Approximately 25 thousand trainees have benefited from this training since March 2020. Open Education Schools • For the 2019-2020 academic year, students who con- tinued their formal education were ensured to pass to the next grade or graduate with their exam scores in the first semester, students who were enrolled in Open Education Schools or out of the formal edu- cation age were considered successful by treating them as having passed all their exams so that they would not suffer during the pandemic period. • Through e-Government application, citizens study- ing at open education schools were given the oppor- tunity to receive their documents (graduation cer- tificate, student certificate, etc.) without going to any related contact office. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 167 Foreign Education and Foreign Relations Selection and Placement of Students to be Sent Abroad for Postgraduate Studies (YLSY) Scholarship Holders under Law no. 1416 • In order to provide financial support to students re- turning to the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Communiqué on payments was amended, and domestic scholarships were increased from 1150 TL to 1650 TL. • Of the students studying in countries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, related procedures of those who wished to return were carried out in coordina- tion with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this con- text, 383 students from 12 different countries have returned to the country. • Necessary extension periods were given to the schol- arship holders who were entitled to extension with or without scholarships, on the condition of their re- quests, wishing students were offered to freeze their education up to a semester or take unpaid leave, and these intervals were added to the education periods. Those who received their full scholarship within these periods were not requested to return their scholarships, and it was decided to be deducted from the first months of starting their education. • By adding provisions on distance education to the “Procedures and Principles Regarding Foreign Lan- guage Learning within the Scope of Law no. 1416”, students were enabled to continue their distance education without any time loss. • An additional period of up to one year was given to scholarship holders who could not start their for- 168 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS eign language education or could not obtain their cer- tificate of acceptance. • Postgraduate education was made available through distance education for the 2020 Fall Semester. • It was announced that notice for compensation pro- ceedings would not be sent to the students sent abroad under Law no. 1416 first until April 30, 2020, and then until June 15, 2020. Schools/Institutions and Teachers/Instructors Operating Abroad affiliated to the Ministry of National Education • Educational activities and Turkish language and Turk- ish Culture courses in schools/institutions that operate abroad under the Ministry of National Education are carried out using the distance education method. • Instructors and teachers who were unable to return to their duties due to the restriction of international flights were enabled to receive 1/3 of their salaries abroad from the end of their leave until the travel re- striction was lifted. • EBA has been opened to use abroad. EBA Portfolio, which makes it easier to monitor the students’ develop- ment process, has also been presented to users abroad. • “SEYYAH”, a digital game that teaches the Turkish language and introduces the Turkish Culture, was pro- duced and uploaded to EBA. At the same time, the game can be downloaded for playing from the App Store and Google Play Store. • A short film, social media content and posters have been made regarding the benefits of its multilingual TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 169 and multicultural nature to promote the Turkish lan- guage and Turkish Culture courses abroad. The pub- lic service advertisement prepared was forwarded to the TRT General Directorate for broadcasting. In ad- dition, short documentary films were shared with the TRT General Directorate in 4 languages (Ger- man, Dutch, French and English) with subtitles. Assessment and Evaluation Central Examinations, which were postponed in advance and rescheduled in 2020 in order to ensure the continuation of ed- ucation life in addition to social life in the new normal frame- work, were carried out in the later period with special measures taken against the Covid-19 pandemic, which had its effect all over the world Resource Supports • Example questions published are also solved on EBA. • In this period where it is unfavourable for children to go outside, thus making it harder for them to find necessary resources, fascicules of study questions on different subjects were prepared and published for all grades in order to support students who will take examinations and relieve their anxiety over finding and accessing resources. • 3,796 Study Questions have been published for 8th graders. These questions were viewed 4,552,008 times. • Skill Based Questions have been prepared for 5th, 6th and 7th graders. Skill Based Questions, which consist of 2,640 questions, were viewed 7,295,652 times. • For 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students, 2,736 Study Ques- tions have been published, and these questions were viewed 701,097 times. 170 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Study Fascicules consisting of 13,849 questions for 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th-grade students were viewed 6,350,045 times. Study fascicules have been de- signed so that students gain experience in differ- ent question types, supported by various activities. Fascicules prepared on a unit basis for each course continue to be published. • In order to support the distance education activities planned within the scope of the Covid-19 pandemic measures and to enable students to reinforce the subjects they have learnt face-to-face in the 2019- 2020 academic year, review tests were prepared that consist of a total of 2,740 questions covering the first semester subjects at the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th-grade levels. • In order to deliver these questions physically to those students in need and to support 1,000 Schools in Vocational Education Project; Grade 5 Skill Based Tests Book, Grade 6 Skill Based Tests Book, Grade 7 Skill Based Tests Book, High School Entrance Exam (LGS) Workbook (Verbal), LGS Workbook (Numeri- cal), Grade 9 Review Tests Book, Grade 10 Review Tests Book, Grade 11 Review Tests Book, Grade 12 Review Tests Book were printed in December 2020, at a total of 2,758,562 copies, and they were brought to students across the country in coordination with Assessment and Evaluation Centres. • A total of 22 fascicules consisting of 1,978 questions covering the first four units of Turkish, Mathemat- ics, Science, Religious Culture and Moral Knowl- edge, Social Studies and English subjects for 4th graders were presented to the students. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 171 E-Exams • 2019-2020 Academic Year Second Semester Open Education Institutions Exams were done online for the first time for the students residing abroad and enrolled in Open Education Institutions. • Open Education Institutions 2020-2021 Academic Year First Semester exams were pre-scheduled to be held online. • The number of existing e-exam halls was increased. The number of e-exam halls, which used to be 125, was increased to 179 halls, and the planning efforts for the creation of approximately 130 new exam halls have been completed. Human Resources and Hygiene Preparations in Schools • It has been determined how administrators and teachers on administrative leave will benefit from additional course payments. • The optional relocation procedures of teachers, car- ried out by the Ministry of National Education in May every year, were carried out between July 20- 28, 2020, within the scope of the measures taken due to the pandemic. • The inter-provincial relocation based on option and the obligation of compulsory labour procedures of teachers, which are carried out by the Ministry of Na- tional Education in June every year, was carried out between August 6-11, 2020, within the scope of the measures taken due to the pandemic. • “The Improving of Hygienic Conditions in Educa- tional Institutions, Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines” has been prepared. 172 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Informative guidebooks for students, parents, admin- istrators and teachers have been prepared. • 4,000 supervisory officers were trained to check com- pliance with school administrators. • As of February 8, 2021, 49,567 schools (98%) affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and applied to and complied with the Guidelines have been award- ed “My School is Clean Certificate”. Certificate renewal inspections will be carried out every year through a portal. • Health and safety inspections were carried out on 483 teachers’ guesthouses, which operate under the Min- istry of National Education. To secure the distance between the pupils and reduce the risk of infection in face-to-face education, 405 thousand single row desks were manufactured and distributed to schools in Is- tanbul in addition to 305 thousand double row desks that were distributed to schools nationwide. • 33,995,496.00 TL of allowance was sent to a total of 440 institutions, which includes 401 teachers’ guesthouses and evening art schools, 37 practice hotels (vocational and technical education high schools) and two in- service training institutes belonging to the Ministry of National Education for accommodation and catering services provided to 498,116 health workers. • An allowance of 168,805,393.81 TL was sent to 81 pro- vincial Directorates of National Education for the pur- chase of masks, disinfectants and hygiene materials. • A cash capital of 2,585,000.00 TL was sent to the re- volving fund enterprises producing masks and disin- fectants. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 173 • Necessary instructions were given to 81 Provincial Governorships in order to ensure hygiene conditions in school buses, and monitoring works regarding the issue were carried out by the provincial and district national education directorates. • In line with the provisions of Law no. 4735 on Pub- lic Procurement Contracts, the contractors who were adversely affected by the pandemic were paid 80% of the contract price for actual expenses and contractor’ profit as well as 5% of the difference between the con- tract price and the work done, for tenders completed with a price less than 80%. Educational Expenses in the Global Pandemic Period • During the Covid-19 period, 416 million 591 thousand 185 TL was spent by our Ministry departments in order to acquire necessities to use in schools and in- stitutions such as masks, hand disinfectants, surface disinfectants and face shields and to buy raw materi- als for the production of masks and disinfectant. • 1 billion 398 million 54 thousand 321 TL was spent within the scope of the payments to be made to the qualified instructors and the fees of those assigned in return for the course fee. • A total of 606 million 385 thousand 344 TL was paid for the Safe Schooling and Distance Education Proj- ect, Data Centre, Mobile EBA Support Points, EBA Control Centre and other activities carried out in the distance education process. • 196 million TL was spent for the production of 405 thousand single row and 300 thousand double row desks for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. 174 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS HIGHER EDUCATION First Steps in the Field of Higher Education • With the start of the pandemic period in the world, the letter on “Coronavirus Protection and Control Measures” from the Ministry of Health was sent to all higher education institutions in the first week of February 2020. • Before a case was detected in Türkiye, all the mea- sures which were needed to be taken in higher ed- ucation institutions against coronavirus were col- lected under three headings that are “Travel and Overseas Meetings”, “Meetings with International Participation” and “Measures to be Taken against Discrimination” by the Council of Higher Education and by taking the foreign students into account, the document was sent to higher education institutions in three languages on March 6 (approximately one week before the first Covid-19 case was detected in Türkiye). • A meeting with the “Covid-19” agenda was held at the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) on the day the first Covid-19 case was detected in Türkiye, on March 11, 2020, with the participation of both the rectors of universities with a high number of inter- national students and elite scientists in the field of health. • With the state decision on March 12, face-to-face ed- ucation was suspended for one week in higher edu- cation institutions as of March 16, during which the distance education facilities and capacities of the universities were determined by the CoHE. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 175 Digital Steps in Higher Education during the Pandemic Period Distance Learning Practices Roadmap of the Pandemic Period • On March 13, 2020, universities were urgently asked for information about their distance education infra- structures and the status of human resources, and “Pandemic Advisory Commissions” were established at universities. • This process was planned rapidly in one-on-one meetings with deans so that the education and train- ing processes were not interrupted. • As of March 16, education was suspended for a week, and the distance education facilities and capacities of universities were determined during this period. • A “Higher Education Digital Transformation Com- mission” was established within the body of the CoHE, which also included academicians from dif- ferent universities who were experts in their fields. In this roadmap, studies were carried out in 5 funda- mental areas: legislation, infrastructure, human re- sources, content and implementation. Open Access of the CoHE Courses Platform • On March 23, Türkiye made the transition to digital education in higher education institutions. The tran- sition from the face-to-face education model to the digital education model and rapid adaptation have been achieved in all higher education institutions. • In order to meet the digital course material needs of the universities, the CoHE Courses Platform has been established within the CoHE, which has been open to the access of universities since March 25. 176 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • In the first stage, the CoHE Courses Platform opened for access, which included the course contents of Anadolu University, Atatürk University and Istanbul University, via the https://yokdersleri.yok.gov.tr/ in- ternet address. It is also possible to log into the sys- tem via different channels such as the CoHE’s insti- tutional website and mobile application. • As a result of various contacts with the mobile opera- tor, students who benefited from the CoHE Courses Platform were given a free internet usage package under “6 GB Support Quota for Distance Learning”. Digital Transformation Project in Higher Education • The “Digital Transformation Project in Higher Ed- ucation” launched by the CoHE two years ago has made significant contributions to this process. With- in the scope of this project, nearly 6 thousand lec- turers from 16 universities were given the “Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in the Digital Age” course, and more than 50 thousand students were given the “Digital Literacy” course. Protocol on the Provision of Distance Learning Platform • In another phase of the Digital Transformation Proj- ect in Higher Education, the “Protocol on the Pro- vision of Distance Learning Platform” was signed between 15 universities and Sakarya University un- der the coordination of the CoHE and in coopera- tion with the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye-Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (TÜBİTAK-ULAKBİM). TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 177 • In the fall semester of the 2020-2021 academic year, 15 universities within the scope of the project started to conduct their distance education courses through this domestic platform. Committee on Distance Learning Policies • A “Committee on Distance Learning Policies” was established within the body of CoHE with the par- ticipation of academicians from different disci- plines of various universities, who were experts in the field of distance education. CoHE Virtual Laboratory Project • With the project, “general chemistry and general physics laboratory” courses, in which laboratory practices happen the most, could be given in a vir- tual environment. It was planned that approximate- ly 15 thousand students studying at various facul- ties of 18 universities would benefit from this in the first stage 178 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Facilitative Decisions for the Education Process in Higher Education Intern Students • Decisions were taken in the Executive Board of the CoHE regarding the evaluation of the situation of in- tern students in the medical faculty and the practices in these locations, and all universities were notified of this decision. Practice-Based Programs • The decision was made to use the digital facilities and distance education methods for theoretical courses in practice-based programs, to give the practical courses at the most appropriate time, including the extension of the calendar determined by the universities, to en- able this practice and approach used in the associate and undergraduate level also at the postgraduate lev- el, to ensure that there are no interruptions in these processes using distance education and digital facili- ties provided that they are controllable and to allow the students with the Republic of Türkiye citizenship studying in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to have the same facilities. • In the context of senior students of medical faculties, due to the strength of the health infrastructure of the TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 179 country, since there was no urgent need for the se- nior students of the medical faculties, unlike many countries, they were not graduated early, it was deemed appropriate for them to continue their ed- ucation in their own university hospitals, provid- ed that their consent was obtained. In addition, if they wish, it was decided that the field practices they would make in units such as family medicine and public health centres in the provincial organ- isations of the Ministry of Health or at the hospital of another university in their city, based on the con- sent of the relevant units, would be counted as the remaining part of their internship practices. Right to Freeze Registration • Students were also given the right to freeze their reg- istration in the spring semester of the 2019-2020 ac- ademic year upon request. It was decided that the frozen period would not be counted as a part of the maximum period, and the decisions regarding grad- uate education were left to the university adminis- trative committees. • Decisions were taken to ensure that thesis submis- sion, defence and proficiency exams could be carried out in a controllable environment and conditions and recorded using digital means and that students could also benefit from the right to postpone and freeze registration. Placement Exams • It was decided that the Placement Exam and Equiv- alent Exams (Scientific Identity Determination and Structured Clinical Exam) would be postponed to the dates determined by the CoHE. 180 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Decisions Regarding Prospective Teachers and Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Health Programs • Decisions were taken for prospective teachers to com- pensate for their shortcomings in the applied courses with “lessons, homework and file preparation”. • The issue of how the students in Nursing, Dentistry and Pharmacy programs would complete their in- ternships was left to the considerations of the uni- versities. • Students in other healthcare programs of higher ed- ucation institutions continued their applied educa- tion in hospitals for approximately 5-6 weeks. • Due to the difficulties, it was deemed appropriate for the relevant boards of the higher education institu- tions to consider and decide upon students who were at the graduation stage in other health programs to complete their internship/applied training either in health units at an appropriate time, including the summer period, by taking protective measures or through distance education with digital means, sim- ulated training, projects, case analysis, etc. Decisions Regarding Vocational Schools and Engineering Programs That Require Hands-on Training • Many businesses also suspended their activities due to the pandemic or started implementing flexi- ble and part-time work, so there was no opportunity to continue hands-on training in businesses. In this context, it was decided that the higher education in- stitutions could complete the incomplete hands-on training of the students and its period by distance ed- ucation method or in the form of summer education. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 181 Decisions Regarding the Teaching Staff Training Programme (ÖYP) and the Priority Areas Project • All higher education institutions were informed about the freezing of the registrations of the re- search assistants within the scope of ÖYP and the Priority Areas Project. Data Analysis of the Evaluation of the Distance Learning Processes • According to the data results collected from 189 uni- versities, including 127 public universities and 62 private universities in different fields, it was deter- mined that universities succeeded in speedy transi- tion to distance education, 90% of the courses in the spring semester were opened via distance educa- tion and the field to which distance education was most intensely applied was Social Sciences. • An “Introduction to Digital Learning Environments” course has been started online for all academics. Works on the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) • As per the decision, the YKS is set to be held on June 27 & 28, 2020, with required protective measures to be taken by the Assessment, Selection and Place- ment Centre (ÖSYM). • For this year only, as an exception, the exam’s dura- tion has been extended to 165 minutes with an ad- ditional 30 minutes. • To apply for undergraduate programs, the mini- mum passing score of 180 has been decided to be lowered down to 170. 182 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Contributions to Scientific Studies with the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) 100/2000 PhD Programme • Several scientific studies against the Covid-19 pan- demic have been initiated in Turkish universities and health units. • A brainpower of 800 people who are currently studying for a PhD degree is contributing to the Co- vid-19 Diagnosis Centres Project, which is to be es- tablished by the Turkish Ministry of Health in co- ordination with the Directorate of Health Institutes in Türkiye (TÜSEB) for the R&D, vaccination, and drug studies to be conducted against the coronavi- rus pandemic. • As for the call on the 2020-2021 academic year, a Pandemic Period Special Call was made considering the global Covid-19 pandemic. A CoHE Scholarship is granted in 22 thematic areas at domestic public universities with the intention of meeting the need for human source with PhD degrees and cultivat- ing human source for the next generations in priori- tised fields determined by the CoHE, specifically for the pandemic period that Türkiye and the world are going through. Measures Taken for Students with Disabilities and Amenities Provided for Their Access to Education • Specific measures were taken for the problems that hearing, visually, mentally impaired students and students with autism spectrum disorder have with distance education, and universities have been no- tified of the decisions concerning the arrangement. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 183 • Arrangements for taking necessary measures for making distance education accessible for students with chronic illnesses and disabilities as much as possible were included in the Guide for the New Normalisation Period in the Global Pandemic and the Guide for the Improvement of Healthy and Sani- tary Environments in Higher Education Institutions in the Context of the Global Pandemic. Covid-19 Information Website • Covid-19 information website has been opened to access, to announce the decisions made and studies conducted by the CoHE. Discover Your University YÖK (CoHE) Virtual Fair • The “Discover Your University YÖK Virtual Fair 2020” was organised for the first time to introduce universities and programs in digital media to the candidates to choose from. Increase of the Rate of Courses Suitable for Distance Learning up to “Forty Percent” in Formal Education • The rate of courses suitable for distance educa- tion informal programs at associate, undergradu- ate and postgraduate levels was raised to forty per cent. Hence, Turkish universities can also switch to mixed-mode learning, which is adopted by several countries globally. Permission for an Extension of Time for Students at Their Dissertation Stage • It was decided by the higher education institutions 184 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS to grant postgraduate students at their dissertation stage with a time extension for a maximum of two semesters; one semester upon their requests in case of disaster and pandemic, and one more semester, upon requesting again, according to the stage of the disaster and the pandemic. The Possibility for Higher Education Institutions to Make Decisions According to Regional and Local Requirements • The CoHE leaves the authority to the relevant boards of universities for the implementations to be made for different programs according to the regional and local course of the pandemic. The Amenity of Health Board Report • CoHE, due to the pandemic period, decided that the candidates who are placed in the programs of high- er education institutions for which health board reports are requested for the 2020-2021 academic year could enrol in the programme they are placed in, with a medical report from a single physician stating that they do not have any illnesses. Arrangement Regarding the Enrolment Dates • It has been decided that the enrolment title of those who are placed in a university but cannot register due to the fact that they are infected with Covid-19 and in quarantine is reserved for a period of 15 days. Arrangement Regarding the Submission of a Foreign Language Examination Document • Due to the coronavirus pandemic, candidates to apply for graduate programs such as “Master’s De- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 185 gree, Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Arts” and research assistants “to apply for a doctorate or doc- tor of arts” have been given the right to submit their documents regarding their Foreign Language Exam scores to higher education institutions after the exam results are announced. Precautions against the Pandemic with the E-Registration System • According to the CoHE data, with 627 thousand 532-university students registering digitally via electronic registration (e-registration), measures were taken against the coronavirus pandemic by re- ducing the density of the procedures, while approxi- mately 400 million TL were saved at the same time. Decisions to Ease the Education Process of International Students Studying in Türkiye Due to the Covid-19, a series of relieving decisions regarding the enrolment and education processes of international students to higher education institutions in Türkiye. Within this context; • For just the autumn semester of the 2020-2021 ac- ademic year, international students have been al- lowed to pre-register on the condition that they complete their high school graduation. The applica- tion and registration period has been extended. • Students who registered after the academic year started were provided with the opportunity to re- ceive accelerated make-up education, and upon their request, students who registered in this semes- ter were provided with the opportunity to freeze their registrations in the autumn semester and con- tinue their education in the spring semester. 186 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • For students who had already registered when the academic year started and were not able to come to Türkiye during this semester due to the measures taken against the Covid-19, they were provided with the opportunity to attend their classes via digital fa- cilities through distance education in the autumn semester of the 2020-2021 academic year, until said measures are lifted. • For international students with expiring residence permits, an initiative has been taken by the Minis- try of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to automatically extend their permits for six months and extend their visa exemption duration to 90 days and to quickly finalise student visa applica- tions received by the representations in foreign countries. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 187 Study in Türkiye YÖK Virtual Fair 2020 • The “Study in Türkiye YÖK Virtual Fair 2020” was held by the CoHE in July to introduce Turkish uni- versities internationally in digital media during the pandemic period. • During the global pandemic, universities were en- couraged to enrol international students, keeping higher education as a local attraction spot. Despite the pandemic, the number of international students has reached over 200 thousand as a result of the policies followed. 188 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Decisions Regarding Turkish Students Studying Abroad • International undergraduate transfer quotas have been increased; limitations have been lifted. The 50% limitation on higher education programs for in- ternational undergraduate transfers has been lifted with the exception of “Medicine, Dentistry, Pharma- cy, Law, Teaching, Engineering and Architecture” programs; allowing these programs to be reserved with an international quota, which now equals to the domestic undergraduate transfer quota. • It has been decided that the quota limitation for in- ternational undergraduate transfer, which is man- datory for “Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Law, Teaching, Engineering and Architecture” programs are to be lifted for the students in the programs of universities ranked in the top 1000 in any of the world university rankings created by the ranking organisations determined by the CoHE. • On the condition that they meet the requirement of holding a Student Selection and Placement System (ÖSYS)/ Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) score or equivalent documents, wishing stu- dents have been allowed to apply for an undergrad- uate transfer for any open education programme in Türkiye. • Considering the global pandemic and being limited to the autumn semester of the 2020-2021 academic year, students have been allowed to apply for an un- dergraduate transfer to all grades. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 189 • A series of decisions were made by the CoHE to make the learning process easier for students who study in “joint programs” started by universities with their higher education institutions abroad. • The equivalence procedures for the diplomas of the students who studied and graduated from universi- ties abroad continued. 190 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 191 3.5. Continuity of Justice Services To reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission to judicial em- ployees and citizens and prevent citizens from being aggrieved during this period, radical and decisive measures have been taken in judicial services without delay. Throughout the pro- cess, it is ensured that the spread of the coronavirus is prevent- ed, on the one hand, and that citizens’ access to justice services is not blocked, on the other. From the first moment, the pandemic was detected in Türkiye, works have been conducted with the Ministry of Health and Coronavirus Scientific Board. Likewise, it has been ensured that the works at the local level are carried out in cooperation with the relevant institutions. Chief Public Prosecutors have joined the provincial pandemic boards established within the governorships from the first moment, and the measures have constantly been reviewed. Views have been exchanged contin- uously with all judicial institutions, and all institutions have been informed on time about the measures to be taken. In ad- dition, the states that have taken similar measures have been followed up in the framework of the activities of international organisations such as the Council of Europe and the OECD, and the works in Türkiye have also been shared with these institu- tions. Within this scope; 192 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • First, an effective crisis centre was established within the Ministry of Justice. This crisis centre has coordinat- ed the measures taken in courthouses, penal institu- tions, Forensic Medicine Institute and notaries from the beginning and followed the developments throughout the process. • On March 13, 2020, the preparations for the “Ministry of Justice Action Plan for Fighting against Dangerous Pandemics” were completed and put on implementa- tion. In the same period, separate action plans for the Justice Academy of Türkiye, the penal institutions, and prison workshops were also prepared. • In the process of transition to the new normal, a New Working Principles Guide was prepared for both court- houses and penal institutions in line with the decisions of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavirus Scientific Board, and it was sent to the organisation on May 29, 2020. • During this period, some legislative regulations were also made. The Council of Judges and Prosecutors was authorised to postpone the hearings with Law no. 7226, which entered into force on March 26, 2020. With the same law, all time limits in the judiciary were suspend- ed to prevent citizens from being aggrieved. It was en- sured that the citizens overcome this difficult period without losing their rights. In the same framework, the first measures were taken regarding the enforcement and bankruptcy offices. Only the urgent works were carried out in courthouses to preserve the public order. In this context, all hearings and discoveries were post- poned, except for detainees and urgent affairs, suspen- sion of execution, works that will lapse in a short time, and other urgent works. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 193 • The periods in the judiciary were suspended from March 13, 2020, to April 30, 2020. It was stipulated that in case the pandemic continued, the President might extend the suspension once for no more than six months. The Council of Judges and Prosecutors postponed the hear- ings, negotiations and discoveries in the first instance courts of ordinary and administrative justice and re- gional courts of appeal until the same date, except for urgent matters such as detention and suspension of execution, with the decision taken on March 30, 2020, with the authority granted by Law no. 7226. • With the Presidential decision promulgated in the Offi- cial Gazette dated April 30, 2020, and numbered 31114, the suspension period was extended until June 15, 2020, and the Council of Judges and Prosecutors extended the period of postponement of hearings, negotiations and discoveries in the first instance courts and regional courts of appeal, excluding urgent matters, until June 15, 2020. • Enforcement and bankruptcy proceedings had been suspended as of March 22, 2020. This measure also continued until June 15, 2020, based on the legislative regulation. • Flexible working and shift system was launched in the first instance courts, and regional courts appeal. • In the process of transition to the new normal, densities that may pose a danger have been prevented within the framework of the measures in the guide prepared with the approval of the Ministry of Health and the Corona- virus Scientific Board. Taking the front offices out of the courthouses, activating all the courthouses’ doors, changing the working hours on busy days are some of 194 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS the measures taken for this purpose. Significantly as of the beginning of the new judicial year, measures have been revised and increased. • Comprehensive measures have also been taken for fo- rensic services during the pandemic period. In this period, there was no disruption in the provision of fo- rensic medical services. From the beginning of the pan- demic, guidelines specific to Covid-19 were prepared and shared with all relevant stakeholders. Thus, stan- dardisation was achieved throughout the country in the management of risky cases. Besides, negative pressure autopsy rooms at international standards were imme- diately put into service in Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Ga- ziantep, Erzurum, Istanbul, Izmir, Trabzon and Van for autopsies of Covid-19 cases. • Necessary measures have been taken for the Penal Institutions, and the institutions have been entirely isolated; • From the first moment, the contact of institu- tions with the outside world has been mini- mised. The practice of providing free cleaning supplies and masks to convicts and detainees has been initiated. • The visits were postponed, the transfer of de- tainees and convicts except for the reasons of health and safety were postponed, and special permissions of convicts and detainees were cancelled. In addition, in order to prevent con- victs and detainees from being aggrieved, the time they could talk to their relatives by phone was extended. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 195 • Some practices within the scope of probation have been suspended. • With Law no. 7242, which entered into force on April 14, 2020, Covid-19 permission has been in- troduced for some convicts. In this context, con- victs in open penal institutions or entitled to be transferred to open penal institutions and con- victs whose sentences to be executed via proba- tion were included in the permission. • It was ensured that reports from hospitals were obtained for the convicts and detainees who were brought to penal institutions for the first time. PCR tests were carried out for convicts and detainees who entered the penal institutions for the first time or came for reasons such as trans- fer or referral. Even if the test results had been negative, they had been kept in an isolated envi- ronment to prevent contact with other convicts and detainees for 14 days, and when the second PCR test came negative, they were placed in the wards. • In cooperation with the Ministry of Health, it was ensured that examinations by family phy- sicians and specialist physicians were done in penal institutions, considering that their trans- fers to hospitals outside the institution would increase the risk of coronavirus. • During the process, the working pattern of the personnel was also changed. The PCR test was performed 48 hours before they started to work, and they were allowed to work according to the test results. After their shifts, prison staff was provided to stay in designated special places. 196 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • It has been ensured that prisoners and convicts over 60 years old or with chronic illnesses, even if under 60, whose test results are positive, re- ceive treatment in hospitals. • Moreover, within the framework of the Minis- try of Health and the Scientific Board’s deci- sions, the HES code obtained from the Hayat Eve Sığar (Life Fits Home) application has be- come compulsory to enter into the institutions. In order for the citizens not to have difficulties, personnel who would help those who need to get the HES code have been assigned. • Convicts and detainees over 65 and convicts with chronic diseases were ensured to be vac- cinated against pneumonia (pneumococcal) upon their consent within the scope of Covid-19 preventive measures. And again, in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 vaccine algorithm, convicts and detainees over 65 were started to be vaccinated against the Covid upon their consent. • Throughout the process, the attendance of con- victs and detainees to the hearings through SEG-BİS (Audio Visual Information System) was preferred. Thus, the penal institutions were completely isolated, and the circulation in the courthouses was also lowered. • Digital transformation efforts that had been initiated earlier in penal institutions were ac- celerated during the pandemic. The works for the new practises model, such as video calls of convicts with their families and electronic pe- tition submission, have also been accelerated during the pandemic. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 197 • E-hearing activities, which were initiated previously in order to maintain the judicial services without in- terruption during the pandemic period, have also been accelerated. E-hearing is a system developed to provide audio and visual attendance to the hearings in civil courts. The e-hearing application will be used primarily by lawyers and then will include parties, witnesses, and experts within the course of the process. The applica- tion will operate on an original and exemplary system developed entirely by the Ministry’s engineers. E-hear- ing will save time and effort for judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and personnel. In this way, citizens will enjoy judicial services more effortlessly. It will be possible to connect to the e-hearing system from all devices such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Through the system, lawyers will be able to attend the hearings from different or same provinces through video conferenc- ing. • All the exams previously planned by the Ministry were cancelled, and thus, both the spread of the pandemic and the suffering of those who would attend the exams were prevented. • The practice of notary public on duty at the weekend was suspended. The working of notary publics in rota- tion was initiated. Furthermore, digital transformation efforts in notary services have continued without slow- ing down during the pandemic. Within this framework, the facilities provided by the “e-Notary” application are as follows: • Making an appointment from the desired nota- ry public with only the minimum information without the relevant party signing in the e-ap- plication, 198 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • For the relevant person to have the notary work prepared by signing in the Turkish Notaries Union’s (TNB) Information System as a mem- ber and only to go to the notary for signature, • Being able to perform some notary works such as notification, written warming, and transla- tion from the place where the relevant person is without going to the notary office, on the con- dition of holding an e-signature, • Sending notification SMS containing the ap- pointment status/time information to the GSM number notified by the applicant after the ap- plication and at the approval/rejection stage by the notary office, • For the relevant person to request an appoint- ment date/time for the notary public s/he has selected through the e-application and for the relevant notary public staff to see the date and time information through the Notary Informa- tion System (NBS) application, • For the applicant to be able to enter the details/ information of the proceedings for certain pro- ceedings, • Adding “Find Notary” and “Find Nearest Nota- ry” links in the TNB portal under the “notary office to proceed” field in the e-application. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 199 • During the pandemic period, it has also been focused on information services, and many measures have been taken in this context: • Improvements have been made in the Lawyer Por- tal, the Institution Portal, and the Citizen Portal, and it has been ensured that the concerned can carry out their proceedings without going to the courthouses. • Improvements have been made on the pages of the enforcement offices, and the reasons that would require lawyers to go to the courthouses have been reduced, thus paving the way for the Paperless En- forcement Office Application. • Mobile applications of Mediation, Reconciliation, and Legal Expert have been developed, and it has been ensured that the works of mediators, recon- cilers, and legal experts are carried out via the mo- bile application regardless of time and place. • It has been ensured that the applications for per- sonnel recruitment are received completely elec- tronically via e-government. • The CELSE Application and the e-Justice Citizen Mobile Application have been further improved so that the lawyers in which they are representatives and citizens to which they are a party can follow up the case files, and additional features have been introduced to reduce the number of visits to court- houses. 200 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 201 3.6. Controlled Social Life and Inspection During the pandemic, as in all other areas, Türkiye quickly took the necessary steps in controlled life and inspection to reduce the risk of transmission. To date, the Ministry of Interior has sent a total of 222 circulars/instructions/official letters within the scope Covid-19 to 81 Provincial Governorates as well as rel- evant institutions and organisations, 34 of which are border- related and 188 of which are country-related in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavi- rus Scientific Board, and upon the instructions of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In this regard, the circulars/instructions/official letters sent by the Ministry of Interior between January 2020 and March 2021 can be summarised as follows: One circular was issued in January 2020. • To prevent the Covid-19 pandemic from spreading into Türkiye, health measures were taken against the virus at civil airfields, ports, and border gates at the first stage. 202 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Three circulars were issued in February 2020. • Due to the spread of the pandemic in Iran, border gates at the Iranian border were closed for both en- try and exit. • The vehicle transits from Türkiye to Iran were per- mitted to exit through the Iranian border gates. 47 circulars were issued in March 2020. • Entry/exit/flights were suspended with 70 coun- tries, particularly South Korea, Italy, Iraq, Germany, Spain, France, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. Those with a resi- dence permit in Türkiye and the Blue Card holders were allowed to enter Türkiye. • An instruction was given to remain on alert against the possibility of an increase in illegal border cross- ings to Türkiye. • An instruction was issued to call off ceremonies, meetings, and citizen gatherings and take necessary hygiene measures in all Ministries’ units. • Administrative leave was granted to public officials in the risky group. • Measures were taken against the price gouging aris- ing in some products (masks, cologne, disinfectants, cleaning materials, food, etc.). • Measures were taken for our citizens who would be kept under observation for 14 days in the dormi- tories belonging to the Higher Education Student Loans and Dormitories Institution. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 203 • It was decided to detect the equipment stocks in the places where medical equipment is manufactured or traded and confiscate them when necessary (black marketing, etc.). • It was instructed that all diners and restaurants, pa- tisseries and similar workplaces with or without al- cohol could continue to offer only takeaway or de- livery services. • In order to prevent the spread of the virus within the country, the activities of barbers, hairdressers, beauty salons, public recreation and entertainment places were temporarily suspended. • Citizens aged 65 and over were restricted from going out. Vefa Social Support Groups were established to assist citizens who were restricted/banned from go- ing out and who live alone and/or have no relatives. • “Travel Permit” was introduced for those who are obliged to travel/go out, especially those in places other than their residence. • An order was issued to postpone the council meet- ings of local administrations. • A circular was issued regarding the measures to be implemented in the open markets. • The working hours of grocery stores and the pas- senger capacity of public transportation were both limited (by 50%). • The practice regarding licence plates that end with even-odd numbers was introduced for commercial taxis in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir. 204 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Restrictions were imposed for the activities such as picnic, fishing, hiking, etc., in coastlines, recreation- al and archaeological sites, and picnic sites. • Intercity bus services and air travel were subjected to permission. 25 circulars were issued in April 2020. • A circular detailing the rules to be applied for inter- national freight transport was released. • Foreign spouses and children of Turkish citizens were allowed to enter Türkiye on the condition that they certify their situation. • Employees in key-strategic sectors were instructed to be provided with the necessary convenience in their travels in order to avoid disrupting the supply chain. • In order not to interrupt agricultural production, it was instructed that the necessary measures should be taken for seasonal agricultural workers who need to travel between cities and those occupied with an- imal husbandry. • Between April 10-12, April 17-19, and April 22-26, all citizens within the borders of Zonguldak and 30 provinces with metropolitan status were restricted from going out. • The scope of the travel permits to be issued was identified in the additional circular regarding the 30 provinces subject to restrictions (establishment of a travel permit unit within GAMER (Security and Emergency Situation Coordination Centre), e-appli- cation system and ALO 199). TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 205 • Instruction to take the necessary precautions for feeding stray animals was given. • It was announced that children and adolescents di- agnosed with “Special Needs” such as autism, Down syndrome would be exempted from the curfew im- posed on those under the age of 20. • For Zonguldak province and 30 provinces with met- ropolitan status, all entries/exits from the provincial borders by land, air and sea (public vehicle, private vehicle and pedestrian, etc.) were temporarily sus- pended for 15 days starting from 00:00 on Saturday, April 18, 2020. • Youth aged under the age of 20 and children were restricted from going out. • Measures were taken for iftaar (fast-breaking meal), shrine visits, cemetery visits, pita sales, etc. 29 circulars were issued in May 2020. • A circular was released regarding entrance into the country of the patients and their caregivers who would come to Türkiye. • All citizens were restricted from going out in 30 provinces with metropolitan status and Zonguldak between May 1 and 3; in 23 provinces with metro- politan status and Zonguldak between May 9 and 10; in 15 provinces between May 16 and 19, in 81 provinces between May 23 and 26; and 14 provinces with metropolitan status and Zonguldak between May 30 and 31. 206 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Travel restrictions for some provinces were lifted as a result of a decrease in cases. • Some restrictions on Barbershops/Beauty Salons/ Hairdressers were lifted. • Those aged 65 and over and those aged 20 and under were allowed to go out on the specified days and times. • It was decided to issue travel permits for tea produc- ers so that they can harvest tea. • Measures regarding the working procedures of the shopping malls were announced as instructions. • It was decided to conduct simultaneous inspections in all provinces on Friday, May 15, 2020, and Thurs- day, May 21, 2020. • The 14-day isolation of citizens coming from abroad in the dormitories belonging to the Higher Educa- tion Student Loans and Dormitories Institution was terminated. • Citizens aged 65 and over were allowed to travel one way to settlements they prefer, provided that they did not return for at least one month. • As of Friday, May 29, 2020, the rules specified by the relevant Ministries and the Presidency of Religious Affairs were notified in order to perform prayers in congregation in the mosques. • Diners, restaurants, cafes, patisseries, cafeterias, coffee houses, tea gardens, association clubs (ex- cluding playing cards, okey game, backgammon TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 207 games and hookah sales and live music activities for dance and games that cause direct contact), swim- ming pool, spa, Turkish bath, sauna, SPA centres, etc., park/picnic areas and high-end flea markets, whose activities were temporarily suspended/re- stricted by the circulars, were decided to be opened as of June 1, 2020, within the specified rules. • The restriction on entry/exit to 14 provinces with met- ropolitan status and Zonguldak province was lifted. • The obligation to get an HES code to use intercity buses was enforced. 32 circular were issued in June 2020. • A circular on the removal of restrictions on entry and exit to Türkiye, excluding land border gates with Iran, was released. • With the opening of the tourism season, the stan- dards to be implemented in accommodation facili- ties and the measures to be taken as part of Covid-19 were identified. • It was decided to hold the council meetings of lo- cal government units in accordance with identified measures. • The curfew restriction for persons under the age of 18 was lifted, and the curfew for persons aged 65 and over was re-regulated. • It was decided that the wedding halls could begin serving as of June 15, 2020, and the wedding-cere- mony halls as of July 1, 2020, according to the iden- tified measures. 208 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • A circular was issued on the travels of citizens aged 65 and over for touristic purposes. • The circulars were issued regarding the opening of internet cafes & halls, electronic game centres, the- atres, cinemas, concert halls and performance cen- tres. • Measures were taken for the places authorised to perform sacrifices. • It was decided to establish Provincial/District Pan- demic Control Centres. • It was decided to conduct a simultaneous inspec- tion in all provinces on June 5, 2020. 13 circulars were issued in July 2020. • Amusement parks and theme parks were decided to be opened. • Restrictions on working hours of the enterprises such as diners, restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, soup shops, grilled sheep’s intestines (shops, steak tartar a la Turca shops, coffee houses, tea gardens, asso- ciation clubs etc. were decided to be lifted. • A circular was issued on the prohibition of soldier send-off ceremonies. • Contact Tracing Activities Follow-up Boards were decided to be established. • It was decided to conduct simultaneous inspections in all provinces on July 8 and July 22, 2020. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 209 15 circulars were issued in August 2020. • Arrangements were made regarding the opening of football field carpets and billiard halls. • It was decided to establish Provincial/District Pan- demic Control Centres and Neighbourhood Inspec- tion Teams affiliated with those centres. • It was decided that curfews for citizens aged 65 and over would be carried out on a provincial basis by the Governorates, depending on the situation in the provinces. • Activities such as weddings, engagement, etc., were decided to be banned in 15 provinces. • It was decided to conduct simultaneous inspections in all provinces on August 6, August 11 and August 19, 2020. 14 circulars were issued in September 2020. • As part of additional measures against Covid-19, various restrictions were imposed on some activi- ties such as wedding, henna night, engagement etc. • It was decided that people diagnosed with Cov- id-19 who did not comply with the isolation rules or lacked the opportunity to provide necessary condi- tions for isolation would be isolated in dormitories and hostels. • The obligation of wearing a mask in 81 provinces was enforced. • It was decided to file a criminal complaint in accor- dance with the relevant laws if patients diagnosed 210 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS with coronavirus provided incomplete information about their contacts. • A circular was issued regarding HES code inquiries for intracity and intercity public transportation vehicles. • A circular was released concerning the HES code in- quiry of people who would stay in accommodation facilities. • A circular was issued regarding the places that mainly operate as music hall, club, discotheque, pub, beerhouse, tavern or nightclub. • It was decided to conduct simultaneous inspections in all our provinces on September 4, September 10, September 17, September 23 and September 29, 2020. Seven circulars were issued in October 2020. • It was decided that the activities to be organised by non-governmental organisations, public profes- sional organisations, senior organisations, unions, and cooperatives should be postponed from Octo- ber 2, 2020, until December 1, 2020. • A circular was issued regarding the standardisation of the administrative fine report. • The obligation to obtain a Safe Tourism Certificate was imposed for accommodation facilities of 30 rooms or more. • It was decided to conduct simultaneous inspections in all provinces on October 7, October 15 and Octo- ber 18, 2020. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 211 Ten circulars were issued in November 2020. • In 81 provinces, it was decided to increase inspec- tions in areas where citizens can gather in large numbers, close the identified workplaces at 22:00 at the latest, and change the working hours for public personnel in order to facilitate the transition to flex- ible working hours. • It was decided to continue face-to-face education activities in kindergartens and daycare centres. • Curfew was implemented at certain times during the weekdays and throughout the weekend. • In all provinces, the smoking ban was imposed in open areas where citizens gather. • A circular was issued for the postponement of the general assemblies of non-governmental organisa- tions, associations, public professional institutions, senior organisations, unions and cooperatives. • Accommodation facilities were instructed to pro- vide services only for in-house customers. • Additional measures were taken for the citizens aged 65 and over and under 20 to use public trans- portation, and for hosting guests, ceremonies for religious holidays, condolences, New Year’s Eve celebrations to stop, and funeral ceremonies, wed- ding ceremonies, shopping malls, bazaars, crowded streets and squares and kindergartens for the fight against the pandemic. • A circular was issued regarding citizens aged 65 and over to go out between 10:00-16:00. 212 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • It was decided to conduct simultaneous inspections in all provinces on November 25, 2020. Eight circulars were issued in December 2020. • It was decided that New Year’s Eve celebrations and entertainment events held in hotels/accommodation facilities would not be permitted. • Measures to be implemented on the streets, bou- levards and squares on New Year’s Eve were deter- mined. • It was decided to introduce a lockdown between De- cember 31, 2020, and January 4, 2021. • Measures were taken for amateur hand-line fishing. • On weekdays and weekends, online food and super- market ordering companies were permitted to oper- ate between 10:00 and 24:00 hours. • A circular on preventing the abuse of lockout restric- tion exemptions was issued. Five circulars were issued in January 2021. • Measures were taken against non-compliance with the rules in ski hotels/facilities. • It was decided that courses providing vocational education as well as certain course instructors af- filiated with the Ministry of National Education and students who attended these courses would be con- sidered exempt from lockdown restrictions. • Measures were taken at the border crossings in re- sponse to the emergence of a new variant of the Co- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 213 vid-19 virus. Flights to the UK, Denmark, Brazil and South Africa were halted. 12 circulars were issued in February 2021. • A regulation was made for granting exemption to students/teachers/personnel that would begin for- mal education. • Due to the February 14, flower stores were granted an exemption. • A regulation was put in place, enabling citizens to pay their tax obligations at tax administrations on Saturday, February 27, and Sunday, February 28. One circular was issued in March 2021. • It was decided that the measures and rules that have already been implemented in the new controlled normalisation process could be eased gradually af- ter March 1, 2021, taking into account the progress of the outbreak on a provincial basis according to the established criteria, and it was communicated to the public. Inspection As part of the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, inspec- tion activities have been carried out to ensure the compliance of measures/rules laid down for all branches of businesses and living environments as well as hygiene, mask and distance rules which are fundamental principles of controlled social life, under the coordination of governors/district governors in order to effectively counteract the pandemic. 214 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Inspection Numbers Inspections carried out by Governorates/District Governorates Number of ex officio inspections 40.835.313 Number of inspections on denunciation 469.098 Total number of inspections 41.298.748 Number of Inspections of persons under isolation 31.394.762 Administrative Sanctions after Inspections: As a result of inspections performed from March 15, 2020, when the outbreak began, to the present, the governorates/dis- trict governorates have imposed the following sanctions: Number of people against whom a criminal complaint was filed 71.011 Number of people receiving administrative fines 2.001.920 Number of workplaces against which a criminal complaint was made 28.336 Number of workplaces on which closing sanction was imposed 13.663 Number of workplaces that received administrative fines 76.808 Number of people who disobeyed the mask rule 1.148.145 Vefa Social Support Group Vefa social support groups have been established to meet the needs of citizens aged 65 and above and with chronic diseases. A total of 144,907 individuals, consisting of public personnel and NGO volunteers, serve in Vefa Social Support Groups. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 215 From the citizens aged 65 and above: • A total of 10.613.001 service requests were received through hotlines such as 112, 155 and 156. • About 10 million of these requests were fulfilled. Within the scope of the services provided through Vefa Social Support Groups; • 3,124,580 residences were visited as part of the “Social Protection Shield” developed by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services. • A total of 2,926,956,599 TL was paid to citizens aged 65 and above in their homes, including pensions for the el- derly and disabled, retirement pensions, IŞKUR (Turk- ish Employment Agency) payments and payments un- der the economic stability package. • Citizens received a total of 5,991,887 gift packages (mask- cologne) prepared by the Presidency and distributed through Vefa Social Support Groups. E-Application It is a system that aims to receive all service applications pro- vided by the Ministry of Interior to citizens in an electronic medium. The system architecture is designed as a structure in which the application is made via e-Government, and the ser- vice is completed via the preferred method of the citizen (SMS, e-mail, official letter). The e-application, which began on Janu- ary 27, 2020, with the integration of the first 11 services into the E-Government Gateway, was also used as a key tool in the Co- vid-19 period. 216 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In the fight against the pandemic, the “Travel permit” module, which was integrated into the Ministry of Interior’s e-applica- tion system, received travel permission requests from citizens who required them during the periods when travel restrictions were imposed. The practice of issuing travel permits via e- application began on May 21, 2020, and the following are the numbers of applications received up to date: The number of travel permit applications 3.819.684, The number of approved applications 2.097.690, The number of rejected applications 1.674.254. 112 Vefa Communication Application 112 Vefa Communication Application was introduced by the Department of Information Technologies in order to manage emergencies during the pandemic. The function that allows the personnel to display and approve citizen’s “Travel permit” re- quests via the 112 Vefa Communication Application was quick- ly integrated into the application and put into use. 218 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 219 3.7. Steps to Support the Industry In addition to taking necessary measures in the field of indus- try to ensure the continuity of production and economic life and to avoid interruption of the supply chain and social life, secto- rial supports were provided; and incentives were increased for projects in order to meet new production needs on the basis of shifted priorities. Ensuring the Continuity of Production in Industry • It was crucial in some industrial sectors to contin- ue the production during the lockdown imposed as part of the pandemic response. Aside from meeting the basic needs of citizens, the sectors in which it is obligatory to continue the production processes were determined, and production activities in those sectors were exempted from the lockdown. • Antibody and PCR tests were performed on more than 50 thousands industrial workers within organ- ised industrial zones, ensuring both the safety of workers and uninterrupted production. 220 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Covid-19 Combat and Resilience Programme of Development Agencies • 63 projects from the public, private sector, and non- governmental organisations received a funding of 39 million TL as part of the Covid-19 Combat and Resilience Programme, which was announced on March 31, 2020, and the project size totalled 48 mil- lion TL when the co-financing amounts were in- cluded. • Prevention and containment of the virus, emergen- cy preparedness and response for the public health, and mitigating the adverse effects of the pandem- ic on national and regional economies were deter- mined as three priorities of the programme. SME Techno Investment Programme • SMEs manufacturing disinfectants, cologne, protec- tive clothing, safety goggles, masks, gloves, etc., re- ceived a support of up to 6 million TL as part of the SME Techno Investment Programme. Remote Working and Rental Support to R&D Centres and Technology Development Zones (TDZ) • An infrastructure was established to carry out R&D and design activities, which are conducted in tech- noparks as well as R&D and Design Centres, in ar- eas other than those places for a period of 7 months beginning on March 11, 2020, and the staff was en- abled to work remotely without difficulty. After the expiration of that period, it was extended for an- other year, and any interruption and delay in imple- mentation were avoided. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 221 • Incubation companies in technoparks as well as commercial establishments such as restaurants and cafés operating in those Technoparks were exempt from paying rent for two months. Similarly, 2-month rental payments of companies engaged in R&D and Design activities in Technoparks were postponed, and their payment schedules were made more con- venient. Additional Time for Investment Projects in Organised Industrial Zones (OIZs) • Investors who were unable to obtain a building li- cence were granted an additional six months, and those who were unable to complete their invest- ments within the additional period allowed could be given an extension of 1+1 year. Extension of Project Time and Facility of Payments for SMEs • Enterprises, which benefitted from the Small and Medium Industry Development Organisation’s (KOSGEB) project-based support programmes and entrepreneurship supports and project duration of which ended on and after March 11, 2020, were granted an extension of up to 4 months. • Instalment payments of enterprises receiving re- payable supports included in KOSGEB’s project- based support programmes were deferred by three months. • In the programs implemented by KOSGEB as part of the Credit Interest Support Regulation, April, May and June 2020 credit instalments due to debts of 222 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 713 million TL to be paid to banks by 136,255 enter- prises who continue to prepay their credits were de- ferred for a period of three months at no expense. Additional Time to the Annual Operating Statement • Industrialists who were unable to provide an annual operating statement, which needs to be completed by the end of April each year, were granted an extension of up to 4 months. In this context, 56,235 industrial- ists’ requests via e-government to notify force ma- jeure and defer data entry beginning April 17, 2020, were quickly fulfilled. Credit Support for Investment Financing • Covid-19 pandemic is considered a force majeure; investors’ requests for interest and dividend sup- port were met without leaving them unassisted if credits used to finance investments were fulfilled after the maturity of the repayment obligations or if a restructuring request was made. Additional Time to Investment Incentive Certificates • In order to ensure that investments that were left unfinished or could not be completed due to natural or biological disasters such as earthquakes or pan- demics were completed, an extended duration of up to one year could be granted when required. Prevention of Industrial Property Right Losses • In an attempt to provide industrial property appli- cation and registration services in an uninterrupted and efficient manner, the Turkish Patent and Trade- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 223 mark Institution built the technical infrastructure required for remote work, and industrial property registration activities were carried out remotely. • In addition to other administrative periods, periods of prescription for industrial property rights were halted until June 15, 2020, avoiding potential right losses related to industrial property. Extension of Inspection Periods for Measuring Instruments • Inspections were allowed to proceed in 2021 to avoid leaving citizens and authorised services, who applied for inspection in 2020, without assistance. Electronic Industry Registry Certificate (E-Document) Application • As a result of the update in the Industrial Registry Information System, it was moved to the Industri- al Registry Certificate (e-document) Application in which all transactions related to an industrial reg- istry such as first registration, documentation, visa, modification, etc. are offered (e-document) by the e- government without the need to apply in person. In this context, 52,543 transactions have been carried out in electronic medium since April 17, 2020. • “Covid-19 Hygiene, Infection Prevention and Con- trol Guide for Industrial Enterprises” was prepared in order to keep our industrial infrastructure and production capacity running in all situations, in- cluding a challenging pandemic. This guide, whose goal is to establish a working atmosphere that is “re- liable”, “not impacted by the pandemic”, and “hy- gienic”, provides organisations with the opportu- 224 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS nity to build a preventive mechanism in response to negative scenarios, which might arise during the pandemic. Under the logo of TSE (Turkish Stan- dards Institute) COVID-19 SAFE PRODUCTION, information programme for Covid-19 Hygiene, In- fection Prevention and Control Certification Pro- gramme was prepared based on the guide, and cer- tification has been carried out through inspections in industrial organisations. • TSE created the “Covid-19 Hygiene, Infection Pre- vention, and Control Guide for the Service Sector” by incorporating the service sector as well as indus- trial organisations to its initiatives conducted dur- ing the Covid-19 period. Unique to a given sector, the TSE COVID-19 SAFE PRODUCTION logo was devel- oped, and certification for organisations operating in the service sector has begun as part of the pro- gramme. • Safe Tourism Criteria were established under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and with the support of TSE, and a certification pro- gramme was introduced. TSE has been authorised to carry out transactions of this nature. Inspections are carried out as part of the SAFE TOURISM cer- tification programme at tourist facilities that have applied. • In order for all stakeholders of educational institu- tions to continue their education and training ac- tivities in a healthy and safe environment as part of the pandemic response, the “Guide for the Cre- ation of Hygiene Conditions for Educational Insti- tutions, Infection Prevention and Control” was pre- pared in collaboration with the Ministry of National TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 225 Education. Following that, another certification programme was established under the name of MY SCHOOL-CLEAN for educational institutions with the goal of certifying that a safe environment is cre- ated for school stakeholders; and certificates have been issued by carrying out investigations in pri- vate schools that have applied. • The Council of Higher Education and TSE signed a cooperation protocol with the aim of establishing the general criteria, including the measures to create a healthy and clean environment in the campuses of higher education institutions. “Guide to Developing Healthy and Clean Environment in Higher Educa- tion Institutions in the Context of a Global Pandem- ic” was published. A certification programme was established under the logo of “SAFE CAMPUS CER- TIFICATE in the Context of a Global Pandemic”, and applying universities have been certified. 226 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 227 3.8. Measures in the fields of Transport and Communication During the pandemic period, the need for electronic communi- cation services has further increased, and to be able to provide service uninterruptedly has become more critical. In addition to this, to prevent the supply chain from being interrupted, ex- erting extra efforts in carrying out the transport activities had particular importance. The works carried out by public institu- tions within this scope are the following: Correspondence and Communication Services • Within the scope of continuity in communication, no disruptions/interruptions have been in the Satellite Communication, Cable TV and Cable Internet, e-Gov- ernment Gateway and public informatics projects. • TRT-EBA TV channels have been ensured to be broad- cast through the satellites and Cable TV with high- speed by joint efforts of Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and the Ministry of National Educa- tion (MEB). • Services such as PTT (General Directorate of Post and Telegraph Organisation) Mask Application, Ministry of 228 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Family Social Aid Application, Ministry of Interior e- Application Query, Ministry of Health HES code Gen- eration and Query were put into immediate use. • Through the efforts made, over 50 million citizens have been enabled to reach over five thousand public servic- es without leaving their homes. • Within this context, the e-Government Gateway used 3.8 times in 2019 with a 319 million monthly average, was used 5.7 billion times in 2020 with a 477 million monthly average. Electronic Correspondence Services • As an outcome of the coordination initiatives carried out by the Information Technologies and Communica- tions Authority (BTK), the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Interior aiming for the electronic correspondence service provided by the operators not to be disrupted, the care and maintenance and new facility activities required in the communica- tion services were enabled to be carried out smoothly, and the issue of a service breakdown was not experi- enced as the personnel assigned to maintain the opera- tors’ service delivery were exempted from the lockdown measures, the bureaucratic processes in frequency al- locations aimed at the installation of some of the infra- structures (radio link) of BTK were minimised, and the required information was obtained afterwards. • The regulation was introduced to implement contact- free delivery methods at the delivery of the e-commerce mails without requesting signatures or ID numbers, ag- grieving the user, and with sufficient informing. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 229 • All necessary measures to sustain cyber-security dur- ing the pandemic period were taken. Within this frame- work, the “Measures against Remote Access Services” document, the document regarding the measures to be taken against phishing with “Coronavirus” and “Cov- id-19” subjects and fake applications in this context, the recommendation document which included the mat- ters to pay attention to from the point of cybersecuri- ty during the use of software for videoconferences and meetings were prepared and published. • The constant monitoring of the increases in the network data traffic due to the changes arising in this period, such as the shift in social life, working at home and distance learning implementations and implementation of nec- essary measures in case of congestion that could arise in emergencies are ensured by the operators in coordi- nation with TRCERT. The consistency of the distance learning services of MEB, EBA (Educational Informatics Network) and the universities are monitored. The daily reporting of the traffic relating to the service quality has been provided to TRCERT by the operators. • Through domestic and national applications called AV- CI, AZAD and KASIRGA, 25,380 vulnerabilities have been detected in 750 different fake conference applica- tions and distance management services by utilising ar- tificial intelligence technologies. • Through the Sinkhole application, the institutions and organisation accessing the harmful links banned by TRCERT are being identified and informed. • 119 detailed harmful software inspections on Covid-19 have been carried out. • At the beginning of the pandemic period, information 230 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS on 569 harmful software was shared with the SOMEs. 1,657 harmful droppers and command control centres relating to Covid-19 were banned. • Through the ATMACA project developed by the inter- nal human resource, which operates integrated with KASIRGA, the risk from 436 vulnerabilities has been proactively prevented through the regular controls car- ried out for each of the 16 million IP addresses. • The national and domestic KULE software has been de- veloped for the data to be managed more efficiently by the analysts and to communicate the information relat- ing to cybersecurity shortages detected to the interest- ed parties faster. Civil Aviation Services World aviation is the sector most adversely affected by the pan- demic, experiencing 60% downsizing with the Covid-19 breaking out in 2020. According to the reports of the international organ- isations, it is estimated that the passenger revenues of the airline businesses will decrease by approximately 350 billion dollars in 2020 compared to the previous year, and the jobs of approxi- mately 26 million employees within the sector will be at risk. Measures • Before the Covid-19 pandemic had been declared to be a pandemic, the growth rate of the pandemic in the world occurred at a scale greater than it had been presumed, and the role of air travel, which provided fast trans- port to faraway locations, in the rate of this growth be- gan to be discussed. Therefore, the need to take a series of measures arose in the airports of Türkiye, where no case had yet been detected. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 231 • International flights gradually began to be cancelled in coordination with the Ministry of Health starting from February 5, 2020, and all the flights were cancelled on March 27, 2020. • During the normalisation period, activities were sus- tained in accordance with the precautions and measures adopted by the international organisations of which Tür- kiye held a membership. Within this framework: • The legislation has been revised according to the pandemic conditions. • Domestic flights have been gradually given a start as of June 1, 2020. • International flights have been gradually reopened as of June 11, 2020, after having separate corre- spondences and negotiations with all the countries our country holds a bilateral aviation agreement. • To help the sector recover, support and incentive pay- ments have been provided. • The requirements on the Airport Pandemic Precautions and Certification Circular and its annexe, the Airport Covid-19 Standards Guideline, have been met in all our operating airports and within this scope, our airports have become certified. • As a result of the R&D works conducted by the Scientif- ic and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, the required planning has been done for the use of the UV-C disinfection devices in the airports, the inactivating Co- vid-19 property of which has been proved in the Erciyes University Laboratories of Kayseri by the test done us- ing 100% active Covid-19. 232 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Within this framework, procurement and installation of 20 Tunnel Type Ultraviolet Sterilisation Devices and 27 Escalator Handrail Ultraviolet Sterilisation Devices have been carried out. • All publications released by relevant international or- ganisations such as ICAO, ACI, IATA, EASA etc., have been closely followed; the ones that could suggest im- portance have been made available for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure after being translated. • In June 2020, the Covid-19 Aviation Health Safety Pro- tocol programme was initiated by EASA and ECDC (Eu- ropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control). The airline operators have been regularly participating and providing the requested data to EASA within the scope of the programme in question. Türkiye joined the pro- gramme in question on July 14, 2020. Sectorial Supports • During this period, a postponement was made in order to support the airline operators providing service in air- ports, ground handling companies and individuals and organisations operating commercial volumes by add- ing 90 days to their payment periods starting from the beginning of the pandemic process to all the invoices is- sued for March, April and May; and later, due to the con- tinuation of the pandemic, the monthly invoices issued in March, and the invoices issued in April, May and June for three months and delayed for 90 days were postponed to January 31, 2021. • 38 million TL debt belonging to the operators of airport, terminal and ground handling services for the license and renewal payments was postponed. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 233 • Seven million TL of contribution was made through de- ciding on a 50% discount in the 2020 service rate of the Directorate of Civil Aviation. • Fifteen million TL debt of the hot air balloon operators for the license and renewal payments was postponed. • With the regulation on passenger rights, 750 million dol- lars of uncontrolled cash outflow from the airlines due to ticket refunds were prevented. It was guaranteed that the ticket refunds would be made two months after the com- mencement of the flights in terms of passenger rights. • All licensed aviation personnel’s licence validity peri- ods were extended. • Payments of the invoices relating to the aircraft services of Turkish Airlines (THY) and the other airline organ- isations taking place between July 1, 2020, and Decem- ber 31, 2020, that were/would be issued were postponed to January 31, 2021, without requesting overdue inter- est. Payment of a total of 78 million TL was postponed. • The fees collected for the prolongation of the airport working hours due to the evacuation flights carried out by THY aiming to bring our citizens residing abroad back to our country were also cancelled. • For ground handling companies, the deadline for work license renewal payments corresponding to March, April and May, which had been postponed, and the invoices of June were postponed to January 31, 2021, without over- due interest. A total of 910,600 Euros of Work License Re- newal payment was postponed for three months. • Sums of the rental invoices issued in 2020 for the airline, ground handling companies and renters managing com- mercial volumes operating at airports, the due of which 234 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS had been postponed to January 31, 2020, were cancelled. • Sums of the rental invoices of the areas allocated to the relevant persons and organisations, which were issued for a 3-month-period in April, May, June last year and for a 6-month-period between July 1 and December 31, 2020, the dues of which were postponed, were can- celled. The rents for the period of 2021-2022 will be im- plemented with a 50% discount for two years. • No increase has been reflected on the rents of 2021 and the Directorate General of State Airports Authority’s tariff of fares of 2021. • Renewal payments of 2021 have been postponed till September. • Necessary precautions were taken relating to the contracts signed with the airport/terminal operator companies. • E-tendering via videoconference has been carried out and will continue to be carried out. • E-Direct Procurement Application was initiated on Feb- ruary 1, 2021, as the pilot application. Postal Services During the pandemic that spread in our country as well as the whole world, almost all of the efforts in transporting the gov- ernment aids within the scope of the struggle against Covid-19 have been carried out by the PTT. Measures • The measures have been taken in accordance with the precautions applied in the member countries of the Universal Postal Union. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 235 • Within the scope of combating the Covid-19 pandem- ic, measures are taken at the level of both the country’s postal administrations and international organisations and unions to ensure that the postal sector continues its services safely. • The delivery of the masks sent by our government to our citizens free of charge at their residences was con- ducted by PTT. • The delivery of salary and social aid payments of the citizens over 65 at their residences, delivery of their e-Government passwords to their residences if they filed their applications through the e-Government gateway without going to PTT branches, and the transportation of the masks sent to the institutions by the State Supply Office were carried out. • In order to reduce the possible risks that could occur during the delivery of the mail, the application that en- ables verification with an SMS code without requiring a TR identification number and signature has been put into use. • Our “PTT SMS Loan” service has been initiated in order to receive loan applications from our retired customers via SMS. • Among the face-to-face trainings cancelled due to Co- vid-19, the contents of which are available on PTT Acad- emy have been provided to the personnel in the form of e-training. • The Payments of the Economic Stability Shield Support Programme were started to be made to the right-hold- ers with the delivery at residence. 236 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Highway Works It has been ensured that the personnel and suppliers are ex- empted from the travel and transportation restrictions so that the construction site activities are not interrupted in order for the investments to proceed during the pandemic process. In- vestments carried out in this context are as follows: • 1,014 km-long Divided Road (463 km-long Motorway included), • 1,756 km-long Hot Bituminous Mixture coating, • 588 km-long Single-track Road, • 352 of 42,9 km-long bridges • 45 of 75,5 km-long tunnels were put into service upon the completion of their construction. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 237 • Some of the motorways constructed through the Build Operate Transfer Model: • Ankara – Niğde Motorway (330 km-long) and • Menemen – Aliağa – Çandarlı Motorway (96 km- long) were put into service. • Northern Marmara Motorway (398 km-long) have been completed except for its 9,1 km-long 7th sec- tion. (The remaining 9,1 km-long section is aimed to be opened to traffic during the first half of 2021.) • The tenders of the Aydın-Denizli Motorway and Northern Marmara Motorway 8th Section (between Başakşehir-Nakkaş) Motorways were made as a part of the motorway projects set to be realised through Public- Private Sector Cooperation. 238 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • The tender for the Aydın-Denizli Motorway’s Con- struction, Operation and Transfer work utilis- ing the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Model was made on July 3, 2020. And on November 16, 2020, its ground-breaking ceremony was performed, and the work was started. • On June 30 2020, the Northern Marmara Motor- way (Including the 3rd Bosphorus Bridge) Project Nakkaş-Başakşehir Section (including Link Roads) Construction, Operation and Transfer Work with the Build-Operate-Transfer Model was made through the Sealed Bidding Procedure. • Emergency response teams have been determined and assigned to ensure traffic safety, including the supply chain, and avoid disruptions in transportation. The sus- tainability of the correspondence officers on the High- way Consultancy Hotline Unit ALO 159 and the readi- ness of on-duty snow removal and emergency response teams in the Highways Branches were planned, and un- interrupted continuity in the works was ensured. • The restaurants, cafés and shopping malls located in- side the Highway Service Facilities were kept open while limited to the working hours in strict social dis- tancing terms and by practising the hygiene rules. • Via the VTS (Variable Traffic Signs) along the roads, the citizens using the Highways were informed about the Covid-19. • Necessary changes were made temporarily on the letter of conveyance, qualifying the contractors working with our institution to be fiscally supported. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 239 Railway Services Passenger Transport Services • Within the scope of Covid-19 measures, all passenger trains and sets are subjected to disinfection along with the compartments where passengers travel. • The first fever measurement was made with our ther- mal cameras at the entrance of passenger trains through Kapıkule from Europe and Kapıköy, if and when the Iran Transasia services start, and the necessary measures were taken to make a comprehensive health check and to determine the quarantine place and time. • High-speed trains were operated between May 28, 2020, and March 1, 2021, with a 50% capacity and seating ar- rangement convenient for social distance. • Başkentray in Ankara and Marmaray in Istanbul con- tinued to be operated for healthcare professionals and our citizens who had to go to work on weekends when the lockdown was imposed. • A seating arrangement was established in the Marma- ray and Başkentray routes in line with the decisions of the Provincial Sanitation Boards. • Healthcare professionals have been granted the right to travel free of charge with Marmaray and Başkentray; within this scope, 113,120 health workers in Başkentray and 2,322,971 health workers in Marmaray have trav- elled free of charge since March 24, 2020. 240 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Freight Transport Services In order to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic, the restriction of cross-country transitions has disrupted the supply chain all over the world. In this period, after the measures and restric- tions imposed by the countries on border crossings, our gov- ernment immediately took the necessary precautions for the continuation of rail freight transport, kept the borders open for rail transport, and there was a significant amount of freight flow from road transport to the railway. • Necessary measures have been taken in order to meet these increasing demands and not to disrupt the supply chain, and transportation at all our railway border gates has started to be carried out without human contact. • A wagon disinfection system was established on both our Border Station’s Türkiye side and on the other side. In this regard, at the Kapıköy border station with Iran, the inter- national freight transportation continued without human contact, provided that locomotives remain within their own borders and freight wagons are disinfected. • International freight transportation continued without any restrictions at the border stations Kapıkule with Bulgaria and Ahılkelek with Georgia. • A wagon disinfection system was established at the Iran-Türkiye railway border station, thereby ensuring the disinfection of coming and going wagons. • An initiative was made to transport 3,500 tons of cargo per day in addition to the current load carried on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line. • In 2020, international freight transportation increased by 35% to 3.4 million tons, and total freight transporta- tion increased by 2% to 29.9 million tons. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 241 Social Support Services • The Social Support Service was established to support railway workers who or whose relatives became ill due to Covid-19. • Based on the fact that individual efforts, as well as in- stitutional measures, are very important against coro- navirus, passengers and staff are made aware of careful compliance with hand hygiene and other recommenda- tions with posters and videos prepared by the Ministry of Health. • In the first stage, the General Directorate of State Rail- ways of the Republic of Türkiye (TCDD) Occupational Health and Safety Board convened with an urgent agen- da and made a decision to set an example for the staff. • In the second stage, additional decisions were taken to include passenger services at the terminals and stations. • In the third stage, the Pandemic Risk Assessment, which included all these decisions and additional mea- sures to be taken depending on the progress of the pan- demic, and the Pandemic Emergency Plan Covid-19 Guide, which defines the actions to be taken in case of an infected employee/passenger, were published. Coastal Safety • The Coastal Safety General Directorate Teams, who work 24/7, provided 270 patient transfers from the re- gions with difficulty in transportation in all weather conditions, especially in the islands region, and from the ships navigating when needed. 242 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 243 3.9. Agriculture Friendly Regulations All preparations were made in agriculture and food supply be- fore the Covid-19 started to affect our country in order to devel- op new policies and strategies by taking into account the social demands emerging in the sustainable management of resourc- es and global developments and changes. Within this context, quick and effective meetings were held with retailers, suppli- ers, producers and agricultural NGOs, the necessary measures were taken at the highest level at every stage ranging from the raw material procurement to product deliveries of food enter- prises, the product stocks were checked, and the inspections to ensure hygiene conditions were tightened and strict moni- toring was carried out to avoid price increases. Continuity has been achieved in the supply of agricultural and food products. While the supermarket shelves were quickly emptied global- ly, the food needs of more than 83 million citizens were met in Türkiye with the activities conducted. Ensuring Continuity of Production in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry • All necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the food production and value chain remain alive and to keep the entire system, from supply to logistics, working. 244 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Citizens engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry activities were exempted from the lockdown. • Intercity travels of seasonal agricultural workers are al- so facilitated. Permits of seasonal workers for tea har- vest have started to be obtained via e-government, and they have been provided to go to the provinces for tea harvest as of May 20, 2020. • In order to avoid problems in the sustainability of pro- duction and food supply during the Covid-19 period, a Scientific Board was established in the field of Agricul- ture and Food. • Stocks of products to meet the demand were controlled, inspections for ensuring hygiene conditions were tight- ened, and a strict follow-up was made to prevent the price increases. • During the pandemic, farmers, those engaged in animal husbandry and food-processing enterprises, continued their activities without interruption. • The Digital Agricultural Market (DİTAP), which will en- sure planned production and is a very significant project for digitalisation in agriculture, has been implemented. • The continuation of the activities such as sowing, plant- ing, fertilisation, irrigation, agricultural spraying, hoe- ing, upkeeping has been ensured in 81 provinces. • All farmers were able to reach their fields, gardens, greenhouses and farms easily. • The production, access and distribution of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, feeds, etc., continued uninterruptedly. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 245 • Veterinarians and agricultural engineers have been with the producers in the field. • Agricultural worker’ access to hygiene and protective equipment has been facilitated. • ALO174 Food Line and WhatsApp Denunciation Line (0 501 174 0 174) provide 24/7 service regarding the de- nunciations, complaints, questions and problems of the citizens. • The e-Farmer portal was launched. • All measures have been taken to prevent the animals from being ignored for any reason and not to be left without food or water during the pandemic through 15 regional offices, 81 provincial directorates and 159 chief offices under the General Directorate of Nature Conser- vation and National Parks. Agricultural Supports • 60% of the agricultural support was paid to the farmers in the first five months. • The amount of agricultural support was increased by 37% compared to the previous year and reached 22 bil- lion TL in 2020. • Plant production support worth 11.5 billion TL has been paid so far, 80% of which (9.86 billion TL) was paid in the first six months of 2020. • Acting in a limited time, during the period when there were restrictions in intercity transportation, 6,100 tons of wheat, barley, lentil, dry bean, corn, sunflower and paddy seeds were distributed through a 75% grant. • The existing fertiliser support has been increased by 100% to ensure that agricultural production continues uninterruptedly. 246 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Fertiliser supports for cereals (wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale) was increased from 8 TL to 16 TL per decare, for other products from 4 TL to 8 TL per decare, and in addition to producers using organic and organo-miner- al fertilisers, the support payment was increased from 10 TL to 20 TL per decare. • Within the context of Plant Production Supports, in order to prevent our producers from having difficulties during the Covid-19 period, the difference (premium) supports and Good Agricultural Practices and Organic Agriculture supports application periods were extended. • The deadline for the application to premium supports for oilseed plants, and table olives was extended to April 30, 2020, premium supports for cereals, legumes and grain corn to May 29, 2020, and support for ‘Good Agricultural Practices and Organic Agriculture’ to April 30, 2020. • The lease payments for April, May and June of the farm- ers who rented the agricultural lands belonging to the TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 247 Treasury were postponed for six months. 10 thousand 375 farmers benefited from this postponement. • Efforts have been accelerated to enable the uncultivated treasury lands to be opened for production. In addition to the effective fight against Covid-19, Treasury proper- ties with a total area of 14 million m² in seven provinces determined by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest- ry, including particularly the Eastern Anatolian Region, to ensure sustainability in the agricultural production and to protect food supply security, to be used within the scope of the initiatives that will improve plant pro- duction, especially cereals, legumes, oilseeds and feed plants have been allocated to the Ministry of Agricul- ture and Forestry to be utilised within the framework of the projects to be carried out with farmers as part of the ‘Plant Production Development Project’. • Soil Products Office (TMO) cereals and legumes purchase prices were announced on May 4 before the harvest. 248 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Bread wheat purchase price was increased by 22% com- pared to the previous year and reached 1,650 TL per ton. • The supply of rice and legumes in TMO stocks was in- creased. • For consumers who do not have access to its offices, re- tail sales continue increasingly at TMO’s online sales system https://www.epttavm.com and TMO’s 150 sales points across the country. • The tea purchase price in 2020 was increased by 12.8% compared to the previous year and reached 3 TL 27 ku- rus. With the support of 13 kurus, the amount received by the producer per kilogram reached 3 TL and 40 kurus. • With R&D activities, a total of 79 varieties consisting of field crops, 25 of which are wheat, 16 fruit varieties, nine vegetable varieties and six ornamental plant varieties, have been registered and brought into production. • Loan terms and interest rates were changed in order to reduce the adverse effects on the wood industry during the pandemic. • Interest rates were revised as 0.5% on a monthly basis and 6 points on an annual basis. • The term (depending on the sales status) has been ex- tended by two months. • In sales, the amount of down payment has been reduced by 20% to 25% according to product types. • A grant of 17 million TL was given to villages for affor- estation projects. Animal Husbandry Support • Animal husbandry support reached 6.6 billion TL in 2020, with an increase of 32% compared to the previous year. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 249 • Raw Milk Premium Support for December 2019, Janu- ary, February and March 2020 was increased up to 15 kurus in order to protect the milk producer and ensure sustainability in production. • The second-period calf support applications were re- ceived for once without the need for a written request from the breeders. • For dairy and stock businesses, 65 TL support per an- imal was provided to the enterprises registered in the Ministry Registration System, with up to 20 dairy cows meeting the specified conditions. • In small cattle, support of 6.5 TL per animal was provid- ed to the enterprises with up to 50 maternal sheep and goats registered in the Sheep-Goat Information System. • During the Covid-19 period, feed support was initiated for small family businesses in order to protect our milk producers and livestock. • In order to avoid any problems in the feed industry, TMO’s product allocation amount to the feed industry and to our breeders has been increased. • TMO started the sale of barley to livestock raisers in March, April and May 2020, with a 90-day maturity and no maturity difference. Loan Support • A low-interest loan has been provided to meet the fi- nancing needs of the farmers. Loans from Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credits Cooperatives are subsidised at the rate from 25% to 100%. 250 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Ziraat Bank and Agricultural Credit Cooperatives’ prin- cipal and interest amounts of the loans, which will ex- pire in April and May 2020, have been postponed for six months without interest. • With the Presidential Decision dated February 3, 2021, and numbered 3489, the loan instalments of approxi- mately 161 thousand agricultural producers reaching 6 billion TL were included in the scope of postponement, and as a result of the applications, 97 thousand agricul- tural producers preferred to postpone the instalment amounted to 4.5 billion TL for six months without in- terest. Within the context of the aforementioned post- ponement, approximately 270 million TL of resources were transferred from the budget. • With the measures taken by the Agricultural Credit Co- operatives, flexibility was allowed for delays in loan payments. • The delayed loans were allowed to wait 180 days in- stead of 90 days before being transferred to follow-up accounts. • Due to the credit debts of the farmers, force majeure was noted in their registry in the Risk Centre, and their aggrievement was prevented. • Ziraat Bank provided a 36-month low-interest loan fa- cility for farmers for outright payment of their accumu- lated agricultural electricity and irrigation debt. Project Support • For the continuation of agriculture and animal hus- bandry investments, a call for a project grant of 158 mil- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 251 lion Euros (1.2 billion TL) has been made within the scope of Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance Rural Development (IPARD) supports. • The process of signing the grant contract of the 13th Stage Rural Development Investments Support Pro- gramme (KKYDP) has been extended for one month. • Within the context of the Göksu Taşeli Basin Develop- ment Project (GTHKP) supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), grant calls in Konya and Karaman Provinces as part of the Project were postponed until the pandemic threat disappears. • Within the scope of KKYDP, IPARD, Experts in Rural Areas, and Forest and Village Relations (ORKÖY) sup- port, 1.1 billion TL support was paid to a total of 16,629 projects. • KKYDP support has been extended until 2025. 252 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 253 3.10. Contact-free and Non-stop Trade The difficulties in meeting the needs of restricted social life and the measures taken during the pandemic process increased the importance of the support and decisions taken in trade. In this context, a number of measures, supports and projects had been implemented in order to protect the health of those engaged in trade and meet the needs of the millions who had to spend most of the process at home and also protect the economy. Contact-free and Smooth Continuation of Trade • Following the closure of the Habur Customs Gate on March 1, 2020, and the start of the Contact-free Trade implementation, trade was conducted in the buffer zone by exchanging containers/trailers/drivers without human contact in order to prevent trade disruption. Ve- hicle crossings at the aforementioned Customs Gate are currently proceeding normally, as they were prior to the pandemic. • The safe continuity of trade was ensured in the GTI TIR Park located at the Kapıkule Customs Gate, which opens to Bulgaria, by means of trailer/driver/container exchange without any human contact within the frame- work of necessary health measures. 254 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Within the scope of the implementation of Contact-free Trade, two-way railway operations were carried out in a controlled manner at the Kapıköy Customs Directorate opening to Iran. This implementation was terminated as of June 4, 2020. • All measures have been taken in order to prevent con- gestions at Sarp Customs Gate and to ensure more ef- fective use of Aktaş and Türkgözü Customs Gates on the condition that the number of departures, as well as those on the previous day from the aforementioned gates, were checked from the address http://kackar.ti- caret.gov.tr/duyurular/gunluk-tir-sayilari and coordina- tion with the aforementioned gates was sustained for conducting transportations to land border gates which open to Georgia. • After the Gürbulak Customs Gate was closed due to the pandemic, transportations were directed to alternative routes. Transaction capacities of Sarp, Aktaş and Türk- gözü gates, which are land border gates with Georgia, have been increased in order to conduct the crossings through Georgia-Azerbaijan and the Caspian. In the di- rection of exit on the BTK (Baku-Tbilisi-Kars) line, the carrying value of goods, which was 4,219 tons in Janu- ary 2020, reached approximately 28,000 tons in June. • Thanks to the implementation of contact-free trade con- ducted on the railway line with an average of 659 wag- ons in January-February, the total departure reached 1,797 wagons in April. As of June, 21,718 tons of goods entered on 746 wagons, and 45,354 tons of goods de- parted on 1,405 wagons. • It has been ensured that the operators conduct their transactions with as little contact with our customs administrations as possible by making it possible to TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 255 provide various services offered by the customs ad- ministrations through the use of e-government or pro- grammes accessible via the Ministry’s website. • Within the scope of the Paperless Customs Project in Exports, it was ensured that all transactions related to customs declaration were carried out in a paperless en- vironment. • During the pandemic, on-site customs clearance in im- ports was implemented for the first time, and it was en- sured that all customs transactions were finalised en- tirely electronically and without contact. • The authentication process for the Certificate of Origin and the Certificate of Origin Form A issued for exports by chambers and unions has been discontinued, and it has been ensured that it would be fully electronically is- sued and approved as of April 8, 2020. • The implementation regarding the wet signature of cus- toms officers sought by the authorities of the relevant country in the customs visa section of the proof of or- igin and circulation documents issued and approved electronically was terminated as of July 1, 2020, and the whole procedure was transferred to the electronic envi- ronment. • The implementation of sending instant notification to the registered e-mail address in the Tracking and Fol- lowing System of the operator whose name appears in the section of the declarant in the declaration has been put into use as of May 4, 2020, in customs declarations changed from yellow line to red line in order to minimise the time that the operators spend in customs administra- tions and ensure that trade is not disrupted. 256 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • The declaration process of samples, exhibition and fair goods brought with the passenger, as well as samples, exhibition and fair goods temporarily taken abroad and returned with the passenger, was made faster and easi- er electronically. • With the Single Window System, the necessary permit applications and approval processes for the import and export of goods were made electronically. • Guarantee letters addressed to customs administra- tions within the scope of the E-Guarantee project began to be issued electronically. • The follow-up of the risk profiles involving the determi- nation of goods has been halted in order not to direct the goods to the red line for the determination of goods in customs administrations. • Contact has been reduced to zero thanks to cutting- edge systems such as the CT baggage scanning system at Istanbul Airport, which takes three-dimensional high-resolution images and rotates the image 360 de- grees on the operator screen. • The detection of undeclared or prohibited items has been made possible without the need for physical in- tervention, thanks to passenger imaging systems that can detect goods on the passenger utilising Terahertz waves. • Without any application from the operator, the time of permission granted by customs administrations within the scope of temporary import regime, processing re- gime under customs control, processing regime abroad, and temporary export has been extended until June 30, 2020. The determination of goods was completed by taking into account the document/information such as invoice information, photograph, serial number, etc. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 257 • Temporary import permits pertained to temporarily imported goods’ transportation, or packaging was also extended until December 31, 2020. • The requests for extension of waiting periods until the goods submitted to the customs administration were subject to a customs-approved transaction and used were deemed force majeure. • It was ensured that no fines would be imposed for ar- rival/departure changes in customs administration and exceeding all transit time limits in the transit regime. • It was ensured that time proceedings in shortages and surplus detected by arrival customs would not be car- ried out in the transit regime. • Deadlines for the Authorised Economic Operator Cer- tificate application process were suspended, and the negative consequences for companies that resulted from application deadlines were avoided. • Additional time has been granted within the scope of the Authorised Economic Operator Certificate applica- tion and post-control procedures. • Additional time has been granted for the renewal of Ap- proved Person Status Certificates. • The six-month period for the late submission of the Certificate of Origin was suspended between February 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020, and the aforementioned pe- riod was reinstated as of July 1, 2020. • The validity of precedent test reports was extended. Flexibility in Times • The period of permission granted by the customs ad- ministration under the temporary import, processing 258 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS under customs control, outward processing, and tempo- rary export regimes was extended until June 30, 2020, without the need for any application by the obliged par- ty. In these regimes, it was ensured that goods would not be directed to the red line solely for identification, except in mandatory situations requiring physical con- trol of all goods, and that identification procedure was carried out by taking into account invoice information, photograph, serial number, and similar documents/in- formation. Supports Under Foreign Trade Policy • Expenses related to virtual fair participation began to be supported by 50% and up to 50,000 USD per activi- ty, and expenses for virtual fair organisations were sup- ported by 50% and up to 100,000 USD per activity. • Virtual fairs and virtual delegation events, organised for the market entry and marketing of resident coop- eration organisations, companies, institutions, and or- ganisations in Türkiye that operate in service sectors such as health tourism, informatics, cinema, education, management consulting, publishing, logistics, overseas contracting, and technical consultancy that brings in foreign currency, are being supported. • Approximately 9,500 (9,432) business transactions were carried out by 1,100 companies with more than 2,500 (2,547) foreign companies during the 62 differ- ent virtual trade delegations were held. Nineteen virtu- al fairs were realised with over 154 thousand (154,065) participants. • Membership charges for e-trade sites approved by the Ministry of Trade are subsidised at a rate of 60% and up to 8,000 TL per year for each e-trade site. The mem- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 259 bership charges to be collected until December 31, 2020, were subsidised at a rate of 80%. • In March 2020, the Virtual Trade Academy was made accessible to citizens, and approximately 32 thousand users entered and viewed 1 million 140 thousand pages. • The Decision to establish Foreign Logistics Centers, where Turkish products could be stored, handled, and distributed abroad, came into effect on October 14, 2020, in order to eliminate both supply chain problems and the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in our main export markets. • Meetings for the Export Academy training programme were transferred to a digital platform in April 2020 and continued to be held monthly for all SMEs. • In addition to their current period, the relevant projects and activities within the scope of the systematics of en- hancing international competitiveness, Global Supply Chain Competence Projects, Turquality support, sys- tematics of design support, Türkiye Trade Center, and systematics of overseas unit-brand and promotion were given an additional 6-month period. • Within the Development of International Competitive- ness Support (UR-GE) projects, a regulation has been put in place to allow Turkish companies participating in foreign marketing and procurement delegation activ- ities to benefit from support, even when they were car- ried out online. • The “Export Academy of Women and Young Entrepre- neur Exporters Development Programme,” “Türkiye Women Entrepreneurs Online/Physical Network,” and “Young Entrepreneur Online/Physical Network” proj- ects have been developed to provide educational activi- 260 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS ties for informing women and young entrepreneurs on a variety of topics. • Difficulties in the supply of certain products have been overcome through providing tax deductions and conve- niences related to the products Türkiye required with the measures taken against the low-cost pressure of im- port on domestic production caused by the decrease in global demand during the pandemic process. • Additional Customs Duties, which were previously in- troduced and in force for 3,193 products, were reviewed due to the pandemic process, and a significant number of them were increased until December 31, 2020; fur- thermore, by introducing Additional Customs Duties to 2,027 new products in 2020, the total number of prod- uct groups with Additional Customs Duties amounted to 5,220. • Additional Customs Duties, which were previously im- posed at a low rate for certain preferred country groups in textile and apparel products, have been raised to the level of “Other Countries.” • Customs duties on iron and steel products (such as slab and billet, flat-rolled products, alloy products, profiles and stainless steel) have been temporarily raised until December 31, 2020. • The necessary arrangements have been made in accor- dance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry/ Food Committee’s demands in order to ensure periodic supply security and prevent price speculation in a man- ner that does not put the farmers/producers at a disad- vantage. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 261 • Additional Customs Duties, particularly on products that are inputs and have a negative impact on domestic industry, have been reduced to lower levels than antici- pated, taking into account sector feedback, and due to Harmonised System Code mergers, the number of prod- ucts with Additional Customs Tax has decreased from 5,220 to 4,819 as of January 1, 2021. • The importance of entering the market through e-trade, which has increased in pandemic conditions, has been emphasised in the “Market Research” studies. The “People’s Republic of China E-Trade Market” Report has been completed; the Russian Federation and Mexi- co E-Trade Market Reports will be finalised in the first half of 2021. • Current Covid-19 developments were presented to ex- porters on the Ministry of Trade’s website as part of the country desks activities. • In 2020, more than 10,000 company representatives took part in the 50 “Electronic Conversations with Our Trade Counselors” events held in 48 target countries. • Programs for General Trade Delegation, General Qual- ified Procurement Delegation, and Special Qualified Procurement Delegation have been conducted virtually since May 2020. In 2020, 267 manufacturers/exporters companies held 1,903 bilateral business meetings with 804 foreign import companies through the 12 Virtu- al General Trade Delegations and one Virtual General Procurement Delegation programs. • In the promotion activities of Türkiye’s Promotion Group (TTG), a promotional approach dominated by digital media that went beyond the traditional methods and responded to the needs of the new era was adopted. 262 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Due to the global pandemic, the official programme of the Izmir International Fair (IEF) and the “Izmir Busi- ness Days” programme within the Fair, which were scheduled to be held between September 3 and 8, 2020, as part of promotional activities, were revised to be held virtually this year. • In order to prevent the loss of rights that the beneficia- ries and cooperation organisations may experience due to the pandemic in the support application or submis- sion of missing documents within the scope of Decision No. 2015/8 on Supporting Foreign Exchange Earning Service Trade and Decision No. 2564 on Branding Sup- ports for Foreign Exchange Earning Service Sectors; it was deemed appropriate to evaluate the incurred pan- demic announcement within the scope of the special and compulsory situation and force majeure and to give additional time for the right holders whose support ap- plication period or missing completion period expired between March 11, 2020, and June 30, 2020 (including these dates), by implementing the so-called dates as Ju- ly 27, 2020. • It was deemed appropriate to conclude support appli- cations without seeking an on-site examination form. Türk Eximbank Supports • Türk Eximbank provided the opportunity for a 3-month maturity extension for loans originating from the CBRT and a 6-month extension for loans originating from Türk Eximbank. In 2020, the maturity of the loan of 4.4 billion USD was extended. • The maximum maturity in FX Rediscount Credits lim- ited with a maturity of 360 days was increased to 720 days. An FX Rediscount Credit of more than 360 days in 4 billion USD was granted in this context. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 263 • TL Rediscount Credits have been offered to our export- ers with an option of a maximum maturity of 360 days. As of the end of the year, the total amount of support in TL Rediscount Credits was 7.9 billion TL. • The Türk Eximbank Support Package and the Stock Fi- nancing Support Package were also provided with the KGF guarantee as part of the protocols signed with the KGF (credit guarantee fund), providing a variety of security. • The period given to exporters to fulfil their export com- mitments was extended for 12 months. • Limit maturities offered to buyers in the Türk Exim- bank’s credit insurance programme, which offers export- ers safe sales, have been extended without additional fees. In addition, the maturities of insurance premiums and buyer analysis fees paid by insured companies have been postponed. Measures Taken Under the Internal Trade Policy • The solidarity campaign “We Support SMEs as E- Trade” was held between May 8 and June 24, 2020. 29 enterprises/e-trade sites participated in the campaign, and approximately 135 thousand SMEs benefited from the campaign. Within the scope of the campaign, 7,076 people were employed, 3,761 SMEs were introduced to e-trade, and 1.2 billion TL was transferred to our SMEs before maturity. • The regulation on the suspension of the execution of the punishments imposed on those convicted with bad checks and in the event that the convict pays one-tenth of the unpaid part of the check amount to the creditor within three months at the latest from the date of his 264 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS release, and the remaining part of the debt in fifteen equal instalments at two-month intervals after the end of this three-month period, the court would decide on the abolishment of the criminal conviction with all its consequences, was enacted by the GNAT General As- sembly on March 24, 2020. • The regulation that the negative records held by the Banks Association of Türkiye Risk Center in relation to bad checks, protested bills, credit card and other credit debts of natural and legal persons who impede the pay- ments of principal, interest and/or accessories of the cash and non-cash credits they used, will not be taken into account by credit institutions and financial institu- tions in the event that the delayed payment of the said debts would be paid in total or restructured until De- cember 31, 2020, was enacted by the GNAT General As- sembly on March 24, 2020. • The first instalment of the annual and additional fees to be paid by the chamber and commodity exchange members to the chambers and commodity exchanges in June has been extended to October, and the first in- stalment of the Union fees to be paid by chambers and commodity exchanges to the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye in July has been ex- tended to December. • The license validity period of licensed warehouse enter- prises, whose license would expire in 2020, has been ex- tended by one year without any further processing. • Exorbitant price increases and stockpiling have been prohibited. The Unfair Price Assessment Board, com- prised of representatives from relevant ministries as well as tradesmen, merchants, producers, and consum- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 265 ers, has been established to inspect and check exorbi- tant price increases and stocking practices and impose administrative fines when necessary. • A regulation was enacted that stated that capital compa- nies could not distribute previous year profits and free reserves as cash outflows from the company until Sep- tember 30, 2020 and that companies could only distrib- ute 25% of their net profit for the year 2019. • The periods given by the consumer arbitration commit- tees for the submission of information and documents requested from the relevant persons, for the experts to prepare their reports and for the notification of the de- cisions of the consumer arbitration committees to the parties have been suspended for the period between March 13, 2020, and June 15, 2020. • The consumer arbitration committees’ meetings were temporarily suspended between April 10, 2020, and June 15, 2020, but the process of receiving electronic applications through e-government continued during that time. • In the refund of the package tour contracts scheduled to be executed as of February 5, 2020, and included trans- portation by air, the option to be paid within 14 days fol- lowing the 60th day after the flight ban has been lifted was granted. On the other hand, travel agencies were provided with the financial flexibility to ensure that the flight price included in the contract was paid to the con- sumer within 14 days following the 60th day after the flight ban was lifted. • Products found to be unsafe in masks’ examinations are announced through the Unsafe Product Information 266 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS System (GÜBİS). Necessary work regarding the conti- nuity of the system electronically was carried out with- out delay. • The Service Information System (SERBS) promotion ceremony was held on July 17, 2020, as a digital launch. Measures Taken for the Supply of Critical Materials • In order not to have any difficulties in meeting the domes- tic demand; as of March 4, 2020, the export of “protective mask”, “overalls”, “liquid impermeable gowns”, “goggles”, “medical and surgical masks”, and “medical sterile/non- sterile gloves” were subject to pre-authorisation. • As of March 18, 2020, ethyl alcohol, cologne, disinfec- tant, hydrogen peroxide and melt-blown fabric have been included in the goods subject to registered export. • As of May 2, 2020, the export of “ethyl alcohol, cologne, disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide” has been removed from the List of Goods Subject to Registered Export; in this regard, the registration application for these prod- ucts was terminated. • The coronavirus pandemic was recognised as force ma- jeure, and additional time was provided for Processing Permits, Tax and Duty Exemption Certificates and ex- port commitments related to Loans with Export Com- mitments. • As of March 26, 2020, the export of “Ventilator, Ecmo, Oxygen Concentrator, Ventilator Device Consumables, Patient Circuits (Anesthesia/Ventilator Circuit), IV Cannula, Intubation Tubes and Intensive Care Moni- tors” has been pre-authorised; the regulation has been discontinued as of May 2, 2020. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 267 • On April 7, 2020, a regulation was issued to subject fresh lemon product exports to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s prior authorisation until August 31, 2020 (including this date), and this practice was discontin- ued on August 7, 2020. • Following the realisation of imports, the practice of ex- porting the amount corresponding to the imported goods has begun within the scope of DIIBs (Inward Pro- cessing Authorisation Certificate) for the envisaged sun- flower seeds or crude sunflower oil imports from Janu- ary 25, 2021, until June 30, 2021 (including these dates). • The additional 20% tariffs on the import of disposable medical masks have been abolished. • The additional tariffs of 13% on medical ventilators has been abolished. • Tariffs on bulk ethyl alcohol imports were applied as zero for manufacturers of cologne and disinfectants be- tween March 25 and August 31, 2020. • Concerning the alcohol-related complaints, the neces- sary inspections and controls were carried out for cer- tain companies that use alcohol in their manufacturing and trade alcohol from sugar factories. • The customs procedures of the goods received on be- half of the Ministry of Health were rapidly completed. Some medical products (surgical gloves, ventilators, etc.) have been included in the scope of pre-arrival cus- toms clearance, and the application area of customs procedures without unloading the goods from the ve- hicle (onboard) has been expanded, thereby speeding up the import procedures for these products. • The goods whose exports are registered are not permit- 268 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS ted to shift raw materials, machinery, and equipment for production from Türkiye to free zones, and great im- portance is attached to not reducing our country’s pro- duction capacity. • An inspection has been initiated in order to determine the January-February 2020 purchase prices, sales pric- es, and current sales prices for the “surgical mask”, “3M mask”, and “disinfectant” products. • Between February 28, 2020, and July 3, 2020, price in- spections of products such as “Surgical Mask and 3M Mask types, Disinfectant, Surgical Gloves, Hand Anti- septic” were conducted 50,108 products from 12,298 companies were inspected as a result. • If it was determined that the confiscated goods in Re- gional Directorates of Customs and Foreign Trade were disinfectants, antiseptic solutions, ethyl alcohol, iso- propyl alcohol, glycerol, oxygenated water (3% hydro- gen peroxide) and within the scope of similar products, The Ministry of Health and other public institutions were provided with the ethyl alcohol, disinfectants, hy- drogen peroxide, and mask-type materials to be utilised in the fight against Covid-19. • The goods for which a preliminary permit would be re- quired have been tracked with specific dimensions, and any potential deviations have been addressed. Measures Taken for the Protection of Citizens • In order to minimise the contact between people at the sales points, measures have been implemented requir- ing sellers to sell fresh vegetables and fruits in bagged form, municipalities to carry out disinfection works in market places and wholesale markets, and keep market booths as far apart as possible. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 269 • It was made possible to collect trade registry fees via credit card. • All national and international fairs scheduled to be held in Türkiye from March 16 to April 30, 2020, have been rescheduled after July 1, 2020. • Physical fairs held in a closed area have been reopened with new measures as of September 1, 2020, by query- ing the HES code. • It was made possible to postpone joint-stock and limited companies’ general assembly meetings to a later date. • Precautions have been taken to ensure that companies that do not have a provision in their company agree- ments that allows for board meetings to be held in an electronic environment can hold their meetings using the “Electronic General Assembly Meeting System” and the “Electronic Board of Directors System.” • Provincial visits initiated as part of the Cooperative Promotion and Development Project (Cooperative Bus), which was launched at the beginning of 2020, were sus- pended in the period March-June 2020 and were car- ried out within the framework of narrowed programs with the normalisation steps that began in June in ac- cordance with the measures. • The general assembly meetings held under the Coop- eratives Law were postponed until July 31, 2020, then extended for the first time until October 31, 2020, and again until January 31, 2021. • The increase in the prices of products such as disinfec- tants, masks, cologne and foodstuffs were inspected, and an administrative fine of 11,818,683 TL was imposed on 291 companies that violated market conditions. 270 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • In the case of disinfectant products, an administrative fine of 209,562 TL was imposed on two companies that advertised and promoted unlicensed products and sold consumers products that did not meet the legislation’s qualifications. • In relation to food supplement products, which have seen a significant increase in advertising-promotion and marketing activities with claims that they “strengthen the immune system”, “protect against coronavirus or are good for it”, the Board of Advertising imposed a total of 1,267,858 TL administrative fines on celebrities (6 peo- ple) who promoted the products in their various social media accounts, as well as the companies (4 companies) that were producers/advertisers of such products. • In summary, both the established Unfair Price Assess- ment Board and the Board of Advertising conducted effective inspections during the Covid-19 period; as a result of the inspections, a total of 31.6 million TL ad- ministrative fines were imposed, including 13.3 million TL by the Board of Advertising and 18.3 million TL by the Unfair Price Assessment Board. • It was decided to impose a penalty to suspend the ad- vertisements of four companies promoting food sup- plement products such as bee propolis, drops with the argument that they were protective or therapeu- tic against coronavirus, and five companies promoting cleaning products such as bleach, wet wipes, disinfec- tant spray as being effective against coronavirus and clearing it off. • It was decided to impose a penalty to suspend the ad- vertisements of four media organisations that went beyond the reporting purpose and covertly advertised food supplements such as lozenges with headlines claiming to beat the coronavirus on various websites. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 271 • It was stated that consumers should be careful and show the necessary sensitivity towards content providers who acted in a way that adversely affected their purchasing behaviour by taking advantage of their situation. • Periods for foreign-plated vehicles assigned for per- sonal use in Türkiye of expatriate citizens living abroad have been extended until December 31, 2020, without the need to submit applications to customs authorities. • For individuals who could not travel abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic, a regulation was enacted that the requirement to be abroad for at least 185 (one hundred eighty-five) days in the year preceding the date of entry was waived in their re-entry with their vehicles to the Customs Territory of Türkiye until December 31, 2021. • Foreign Trade Information Seminars, which were physical- ly held until March 2020, were held online after this date. • The training activities planned to be given to Export Support Offices in 2020 were carried out with distance education (video conference, online presentation) facil- ities, taking into account the pandemic conditions. • The organisations for the 6th Tradesmen and Craftsmen Council and Preparatory Workshop have been resched- uled for 2021. • The training on women’s entrepreneurship and cooper- atives, Tradesmen and Craftsmen Information System (ESBİS) and legislation informing training given to the Registry Directorates were carried out online. • It has been decided that the customs brokerage and as- sistant customs brokerage exams, which were sched- uled to be held in 2020, would not be held. 272 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 273 3.11. Safe Tourism and Incentives With the pandemic, the tourism and travel sectors around the world have almost come to a standstill. Türkiye has taken a number of globally exemplary steps in order to gain a share of the ongoing restricted tourism mobility least affected by the process and improve its status as the most favoured tourism destination. Türkiye spent 2020 much better than rival coun- tries in terms of tourism, thanks to measures which includes financing and promotional support to the sector, particularly providing “Safe Tourism” to visitors. Indeed, approximately 16 million tourists visited Türkiye in 2020. Controlled Normalisation Process Practices in Tourism The following were issued to reduce the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism sector and assist the sector in minimising the impact of the pandemic period on the tour- ism sector and maintaining activities safely by initiating the controlled normalisation process: • Circular No. 2020/6, 2020/9, 2020/14, 2020/15, 2020/16, 2020/17 and 2020/18 were issued in order to initiate a controlled normalisation process in accommodation fa- cilities, 274 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Circular No. 2020/8 was issued in order to initiate a con- trolled normalisation process in catering facilities, • Circular No. 2020/10 was issued in order to initiate a con- trolled normalisation process in marine tourism facilities and vehicles and sports activities for tourism purposes, • Circular No. 2020/11 (by the Directorate General of Re- search and Training) was issued in order to initiate a con- trolled normalisation process in the tourist guiding service, • Circular No. 2020/12 was issued in order to initiate the controlled normalisation process in cultural and art fa- cilities. Tax Incentives in Tourism • Between April 1 and June 30, 2020, the deadline for sub- mitting withholding and value-added tax returns for ac- commodation activities such as hotels, motels, pensions, holiday villages; tour operator and travel agency activi- ties; and reservation services, spa, hot spring, mineral springs, SPA centres, and so on was extended until July 27, 2020, and this practice was completed. • The VAT rates for cinema, theatre, opera, operetta, ballet, museum entrance fees, and accommodation and catering services, which account for the majority of tourism expen- diture, were reduced from 8% to 1% until May 31, 2021. • The accommodation tax practice, which concerns 12 thousand accommodation facilities and directly affects the tourism sector, was postponed to January 1, 2022. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 275 Incentives Provided to Travel Agencies • It was ensured that 2020 dues, which travel agencies must pay to the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, were not collected. Postponement of Usage Fees • The land use fees to be collected from the tourism cer- tified investors and operators allocated public lands to construct tourism facilities between April 1 and June 30, 2020, were postponed for six months. Usage fees until the end of the year, including those postponed on No- vember 11, 2020, were postponed for another year. This postponement included tourism facilities such as ho- tels, holiday villages, daily resorts, golf facilities locat- ed on public lands and marine tourism facilities such as the marina and cruise port, and a debt of 925 million TL was postponed. • The Ministry of Culture and Tourism was authorised to postpone the rental fees to be collected as of March 11, 2020, for the immovables rented by the Central Direc- torate of the Revolving Fund of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism until the end of the year and to extend this period up to three months. • The administrative share to be collected from the spa and thermal hotels operating for tourism purposes in 2020 was postponed until December 20, 2021. Credit Supports • “Stay in Business” credit package for travel agencies, credit support for early booking refund to accommoda- tion facilities and credit support for tourism and restau- rant businesses, and tourist guides were provided at at- tractive terms. 276 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Furthermore, medium-term credit support was pro- vided to Turkish tour operators with foreign-flagged airline fleets organised in more than one country and bring one million or more passengers to our country. • In addition to the enterprises in the tourism sector, a new Tourism Support Package Practice was prepared for the suppliers of these enterprises and 10 billion TL was provided to the sector by the banks with the guar- antee of the Credit Guarantee Fund. Tourism Activities During the Pandemic Period Türkiye rapidly began to take measures to redirect travel activi- ties, which had come to a standstill due to the Covid-19 pandem- ic, to Türkiye and implemented the necessary practices on time. Thus, by surpassing rival countries in tourism, Türkiye became one of the countries that survived 2020 with minimum damage. In terms of visitor numbers, Türkiye experienced a lesser de- cline than the global average and rival countries thanks to the implementation of the “Safe Tourism Certification Pro- gramme,” as well as its robust healthcare infrastructure and promotional activities. The number of tourists that visited Tür- kiye in 2020 was around 16 million. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 277 Safe Tourism Certification Programme When Covid-19 cases began to appear in Türkiye in March, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with the Ministries of Health, Transport, Interior and Foreign Affairs, and all sector stakeholders took immediate action. The decision and action mechanisms were formed in one week to carry out the neces- sary arrangements. Subsequently, the “Safe Tourism Certifica- tion Programme” was implemented in as little as one month. “Safe Tourism Certification Programme”, one of the first exam- ples in the world, is considered as a “success story” by other countries. The “Safe Tourism Certification Programme” ensures that all measures are taken to enable visitors coming to Türkiye to travel safely in terms of accommodation, catering, and transfer vehicles. 278 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s most recent regulation, all accommodation facilities with 30 or more rooms must obtain the “Safe Tourism” certificate by 2021. The accom- modation enterprises that are obliged to obtain a certificate cannot operate without a certificate. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has decided to continue the Programme after the pandemic. The tourism industry reacted quickly to the “Safe Tourism Cer- tification Programme,” and facilities began to receive certifica- tion. The number of facilities and businesses that have been certificated so far is over 7,800. This situation has instilled in both domestic and foreign tourists the notion of safe and healthy travel to Türkiye. Diplomacy Activities Another factor that enabled Türkiye to outperform its competi- tors during the pandemic was the communication of the certifi- cation Programme to subject addressees abroad, as well as the conduct of diplomacy activities with countries to open flight corridors. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 279 In this context, the comprehensive steps taken to re-establish tourism mobility were detailed in letters sent through Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the relevant ministries of the 70 countries that visit Türkiye the most. Furthermore, intensive phone diplomacy has communicated how determined Türkiye is to implement measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. PCR Testing Following the meetings held with the target countries, efforts were made in collaboration with the relevant ministries to be able to carry out Covid-19 testing for visitors in Türkiye as a pandemic requirement, and the infrastructure was quickly built to meet the needs. Covid-19 Insurance A unique insurance package was created and introduced so that visitors to Türkiye could have a vacation with inner peace. In the event that tourists who purchased this insurance pack- age are diagnosed with Covid-19 and hospitalised while on va- cation in Türkiye, the insurance will cover their treatment in public or private pandemic hospitals, as well as their prescrip- tion and intensive care costs. The hotel insurance package that has been prepared for the hotel provides conveniences for ho- tels in the event that a guest has to spend their quarantine pe- riod at the hotel. Promotion Activities in the Pandemic Period In addition to the steps and programs implemented, promotion activities coordinated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency have played a significant role in reviving tourism in Türkiye. 280 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Efforts to display both Türkiye’s unique beauties and safe tour- ism implementations continue relentlessly during this period known as the “new normal.” Hosting Activities As the first and most important step in promoting this process abroad, 50 diplomatic mission representatives and 52 foreign press members residing in Türkiye were hosted between July 19-22, 2020. It has been ensured that all Safe Tourism Certificate initiatives were enforced, starting with the Antalya Airport and that the tourism experience has been preserved from beginning to end. A step-by-step Safe Tourism Experience at airports, modes of transportation, hotels and museums/archaeological sites was provided and explained within the scope of different programs organised for press members and agency representatives in- vited from Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Ukraine, Spain, France, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Indonesia, in collaboration with the Min- istry of Culture and Tourism and the Türkiye Tourism Promo- tion and Development Agency (TGA), as well as stakeholders such as airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. Extensive efforts have been made to explain and introduce the certification sys- tem to tour operators who influence travel activities in their tar- get markets. As part of the hosting activities in 2020, over 1000 people were hosted through 96 events from 35 countries. Three thousand press members, tour operator representatives, and influencers are planned to be hosted in various Turkish destinations in 2021. In order to introduce Türkiye’s comprehensive advancements towards safe tourism and lift travel restrictions and warnings, frequent contacts, initiatives and promotional activities have TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 281 been carried out, pioneered by the meetings of our President and the relative officials with their counterparts. Last year, these efforts yielded good results in terms of the coun- tries that are key tourism markets for Türkiye. • The United Kingdom included Türkiye in its travel cor- ridor list In July 2020 and lifted the quarantine require- ment for travellers returning from Türkiye and its travel warning Türkiye hosted British tourists throughout the summer season. Upon the UK government’s decision on October 1, Türkiye was removed from the travel corridor list. • At the beginning of August, Germany removed the trav- el warning for four important tourism destinations in Türkiye -Antalya, İzmir, Aydın and Muğla- within the framework of the agreement reached. German tour- ists have been hosted in Türkiye in accordance with this agreement. It is the goal of both parties to restore this agreement, which was suspended on November 9. Flights and travels to/from Germany continue. • Reciprocal scheduled flights between Türkiye and Rus- sia started on August 1. Russian tourists began coming to our country with touristic charter flights on August 10. Russia also removed the restrictions for the entry of Turkish citizens into Russia. • Flights to/from Ukraine started on July 1, and there are flights from Ukraine to tourist destinations, especially Antalya. Türkiye, which was placed on the red list by Ukrainian authorities in the context of international travels on December 18, was added to the green list on January 15. There are no restrictions on travel from Tür- kiye to Ukraine. 282 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Advertisement Activities With the reopening of borders that had been closed due to the pandemic, commercial films highlighting the tourism oppor- tunities and measures implemented by Türkiye, as well as TV commercials and internet advertising, began to be broadcast in target countries in June. TV commercials were broadcast in 14 countries (the United King- dom, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Serbia, Austria, Belgium, Japan, Poland, Czechia, France, Israel, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands) in 2020. In terms of advertisements for the printed press, Türkiye’s promotion was carried out through the world’s most prestigious and read magazines. Advertisement campaigns were carried out in 57 magazines in eight countries throughout 2020. One of the most influential media that was used for the 2020 promotion was digital platforms. Digital advertisements con- tinued with 64 movies in 82 countries and got 7.7 billion screen- ings and 1.5 billion views in total. Promotion activities are being carried out intensively in target countries with commercial movies and communication efforts prepared for early reservation and season-opening as part of the ongoing promotion activities in 2021. Advertisements on early reservation and TV commercials were broadcast in 11 countries. According to target markets’ interest, nine different communication movies were broadcast in 52 countries on digi- tal channels. Go Türkiye Platform Go Türkiye Platform, the global promotion channel of Türkiye, was relaunched in 2020 with its renewed structure. The platform, which assists in distinguishing Türkiye from its competitors with its new and modern design and also with TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 283 its technological infrastructure, offers the culture and tourism values of the country under one roof to all of its users who wish to get information about Türkiye and plan their trip. Go Türkiye will continue to play a key role in Türkiye’s promotion as a global tourism trademark with its content tailored to its users’ profiles. Within the context of the rich diversity of Türkiye’s products and destinations as well as changing global tourism trends, more than 50 topics such as golf tourism, museums, cultural routes, faith tourism, gastronomy, shopping etc., offer broad- cast service via the Go Türkiye experience. City Promotion Project Within the TGA, an organisation was established to promote Türkiye’s regions and cities globally. Teams from the Minis- try of Culture and Tourism and the TGA have met with local governments and non-governmental organisations to develop tourism values in cities, promote these values more effective- ly, and ensure their promotion through collaboration with Go Türkiye, the official contact platform. 284 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 285 3.12. Complementary Works in the fields of Culture, Arts, Youth and Sports The Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted the entire world in 2020, impacted the culture, art, and tourism sectors in Türkiye and other countries. With the declaration of the pandemic, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has supported efforts to pro- tect public health by implementing health measures in accor- dance with government decisions, and then quickly presented the economic and financial measures related to the culture, arts, and tourism sectors affected by the pandemic by coordi- nating the relevant ministries and informing the public. Measures Taken in Culture During the Gradual Normalisation Process Measures Taken in Museums Museums and archaeological sites were closed for “74 days” as of March 19, 2020, as part of the measures taken to fight the Co- vid-19 pandemic. A “visitor management plan” was developed for each museum and archaeological site, taking into account factors such as visitor potential, physical conditions, social dis- tance, entrance-exit routes, and average time spent by visitors at museums/archaeological sites in line with the decisions of the Ministry of Health and other relevant institutions before 286 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS the museums and archaeological sites were reopened; it was ensured that social distance rules were followed, and hygiene measures were taken. The museum directorates conducted all preparations, and the museums were reopened as of June 1, 2020, in accordance with the visitor management plan prepared in advance. The num- ber of visitors to museums and archaeological sites in 2020 was 8,918,950. As the pandemic continues, some museums and historical sites in Istanbul, Aksaray, Denizli, Izmir, Konya, Nevşehir, Ankara, Kayseri, and Burdur are kept open in accordance with demands and potentials, so that foreign visitors are not adversely affected by the weekend lockdown. Measures Taken in Theatres, Operas and Concert Areas In November and December, the State Theatres presented plays on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On the other days, the stages were disinfected, the audience capacity was reduced by half, and seating was arranged according to social distance rules. The audience’s temperature was taken before TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 287 the performances began, and Life Fits into Home (HES) codes were checked at the stage entrances. The QR code has been added to State Theatre tickets. It has thus been ensured that the theatre tickets are checked contact-free. The plexiglass cabins were built 1.5 meters away from the box offices, the distance was measured in square meters per ac- tor backstage, and the intervals between the curtains were in- creased to 20 minutes to avoid crowding in the restrooms and canteens. The stage props and accessories were disinfected prior to each rehearsal, washed using a spraying method, and a play every other day ensured this. Supports Provided to Culture and Art The State supported art institutions, especially private theatres, musicians and the cinema sector, and artists who continue their production in all fields during the difficult pandemic period. Supports for Private Theatres The total amount of support given to private theatres was 35,797,200 TL. • Taxpayers in creative service sectors such as cinema and theatre were considered to be in force majeure be- tween April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020 (including these dates), and it has been ensured that important cultural stakeholders such as private theatre, music and pub- lishing benefit from advantages. • With the regulation, mandatory performances of pri- vate theatres supported in the 2019-2020 art season were abolished, support applications for the 2020- 2021 season were moved to an earlier date, and support amounts were increased. 288 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Given the pandemic situation, the seasonal play support of 6 million 100 thousand TL allocated to private the- atres last year was increased to 12,000,000 TL this year and distributed to the projects of 328 private theatres. • In these difficult circumstances, where private theatres were closed due to the pandemic, a total of 23,797,200 TL was provided to private theatres through the “Audio Play,” “Digital Theatre,” and “Tour Support” programs. • In order to support private theatre halls, our private theatres have been allowed to obtain a “Certificate of Cultural Investments and Initiatives” in terms of the- atre hall support. This certificate provided a 25% reduc- tion in insurance premiums, employer’s share, and in- come tax for seven years during the operating period, a 20% reduction in natural gas and electricity usage for five years, and the benefit of being charged at the lowest water consumption tariff in the area. “Don’t Stop the Music Project” Support • The “Music Industry Pandemic Support Programme” was established to support artists who suffered from the pandemic and lost their income. • A total of 122,976,000 TL support was provided to 30 thousand 770 applicants as 1000 TL per month for four months. Supports for Cinema Industry • The total amount of support given to the film industry was 89,023,000 TL. • In 2020, a total of 46 million 428 thousand TL was allo- cated to 234 projects in the categories of “Documentary Film Production”, TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 289 • “First Feature Fiction Film Production”, “Feature Film Production”, “Support for Turkish Film Screenings”, “Post-Production”, and “Co-Production”. Thus, com- pared to 2019, the support provided to the industry was increased by 22%. • Within the framework of “Support for Turkish Film Screenings”, 15.9 million TL was allocated to 159 cinema operators in all cities in order to sustain the cinemas closed within the scope of the Covid-19 measures. • A total of 26 million 695 thousand TL was provided to 85 cultural and artistic events and professional unions in cinema, displayed under the new normal conditions. Supports for Professional Unions • The support provided to professional unions was 5,786,000 TL. • Given the economic damage caused by the pandemic in the music, cinema, science-literature, fine arts, and radio and television sectors, the amount of support pro- vided to cover the administrative expenses of authors and professional unions representing organisations such as producers and publishing houses was increased by 50% in 2020. Contracted Artists in Art Sectors • Service contracts were signed with 1,481 personnel fol- lowing assessments conducted by the Directorate Gen- eral of State Theatres, taking into account personnel needs. • As of January 1, 2020, no personnel contract has been terminated by the Directorate General of State Opera and Ballet and affiliated Provincial Directorates; as a re- 290 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS sult of the assessments, service contracts were signed with 853 personnel, taking into account the personnel requirements based on the planned repertoire, the art- ist’s tone colour, the instrument to be played, and the technical requirements on and behind the stage. Employment Incentives • The money wage support from the Unemployment Fund was provided to the employees who took unpaid leave or were dismissed after March 15, 2020, within the framework of the Labour Law; the short time working allowance was implemented and “Temporary Employ- ment Guarantee”, prohibiting the termination of em- ployment contracts, was carried out. • The application period of the short-time working al- lowance has been extended until January 31, 2021. The short time working period in the workplaces that previ- ously applied for short-time working was extended un- til February 28, 2021. • The implementation period for insurance premium in- centives and income tax withholding incentives for ad- ditional employment has been extended until Decem- ber 31, 2022. • Normalisation support for insured employees has been extended until June 30, 2021, and the previously three- month enjoyment period has been increased to six months.  Projects and Activities Carried out in terms of Culture Digitisation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s activi- ties during the “Stay at Home” period has allowed citizens to remain connected to culture and art. Projects within the scope TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 291 of outdoor events for children, such as mobile cinema/theatre/ museum, have reached a wider audience. In addition to movie screenings, small-scale music, dance and theatre events were organised for children, and they were also informed on issues like fighting the virus during the Covid-19 period. Digitalisation in Culture Art in Your Pocket (Sanat Cepte) and The YouTube Channel of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism As part of the “Art in Your Pocket Events,” which were live- streamed on the Instagram page of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Art in Your Pocket application on April 20, 2020, 81 artists from art institutions affiliated with the Ministry went live twice a day, all week except Sundays, to meet and talk with audiences and perform mini-concerts. 292 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS These events, which lasted until July 31, 2020, reached approx- imately 240 thousand art lovers. Furthermore, children’s bal- let classes given by children’s ballet teachers of Ankara State Opera and Ballet via the Art in Your Pocket application once a week on Saturdays reached approximately 60 thousand art lovers. With the decision to cancel and postpone cultural and art events due to the pandemic, the Ministry of Culture and Tour- ism has made the recordings of operas, ballets, theatre plays, orchestra and society performances that were present in the archives of the art departments of the Ministry accessible to all art lovers on its YouTube channel. The view count of more than 60 videos shared during the pandemic has exceeded one mil- lion. Currently, the channel, which has attracted a great deal of interest since the onset of the pandemic, has approximately 61 thousand subscribers. Virtual Museums The website “www.sanalmuze.gov.tr” has been made available to the public for free virtual tours of three-dimensional real- life models of museums and archaeological sites, as well as for virtual publicising of cultural heritage. The website, the infra- structure of which had been developed since March 19, 2020, and launched on March 25, 2020, has received over 12 million visitors. At present, it is possible to take free-of-charge virtual tours of 32 museums and archaeological sites and one tem- porary exhibition. The most popular virtual tours are the Gö- beklitepe Archaeological Site, the Ankara War of Independence Museum, the Ephesus Archaeological Site, the Çanakkale Troy Museum and the Anatolian Civilizations Museum, respectively. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 293 My Library in My Pocket (Kütüphanem Cepte) and My Library in My Pocket E-Book Mobile Applications Thanks to the “My Library in My Pocket Mobile Application”, citizens aged 15 and over are able to apply for an “e-member- ship” with their e-Government integration, browse the cata- logues, find the nearest libraries, view their reading history, find out which book is available in which library by scanning the ISBN barcode and extend the loan period of materials with- out going to the library. 294 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS On the other hand, citizens who are a member of a library af- filiated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism are able to ac- cess e-books exclusive to the public libraries via the My Library in My Pocket E-Book Application. These two applications, de- signed specifically for the pandemic period and drew much at- tention during that time, can be downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores. Active Library (Etkin Kütüphane) Project and Active Library WEB TV “Active Library Project” was realised, and Active Library Web TV began broadcasting. Within the scope of the Active Library Project, online events such as fairy tales from Anatolia and all around the world, fairy tales for adults, Karagöz and Hacivat shows, workshops on robotics, felt making, origami, knitting, ceramics, marbling, needlework, wood, jewellery design, book- mark making, hat making, and interviews on literature, cul- ture, art, self-improvement and health, family seminars, and awareness training, have been organised and communicated to the audience via the “activelibrary” (etkinkutuphane) accounts on social media for citizens who are not able to benefit from libraries during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, since March 18, 2020, 140 literary events, 53 in- terviews, 99 training, courses and information sessions, 119 handcraft workshops, 44 events on art, 16 sports activity, games, competitions, tournaments, 21 events for important days and weeks, five events on health and a total of 497 events have been organised through the active library’s social media accounts. “One Leader One City (Bir Lider Bir Şehir)” Project Within the framework of the project, 81 youth leaders from 81 cit- ies spoke about the eccentricities of the city that they live in, from its geography to the way of living, from mourning to weddings, TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 295 from births to funerals, from shopping to history, by enriching the 2 minutes and 20 seconds videos with traditions, idioms, sayings, myths, folk songs, and cultural and historical elements. These videos were shared from the Directorate General of Youth Services’ social media accounts within the “One Leader One City” project, launched on April 20, 2020. Outdoor Events for Children Truck Theatre Through 62 plays performed, the Truck Theatre, which began its journey on June 30, reached 11,106 audiences from 23 cities and 38 districts in Eastern Anatolia and South-eastern Anatolia. Furthermore, two different plays were performed four times to assist the children in Izmir affected by the earthquake in their recovery from this traumatic event, reduce their stress, and con- tribute to their personal development by entertaining them. 296 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Çanakkale Wars Mobile Museum Çanakkale Wars Mobile Museum began its journey on July 2, 2020. The Çanakkale Wars Mobile Museum was created to al- low visitors to relive and experience the Çanakkale spirit as if they were walking on the spot, with images and photographs from the battle, screens displaying various visuals and videos, a section for the exhibition of several battle objects recovered from the Çanakkale front, and a statue of an Çanakkale soldier. The Çanakkale spirit has been transported all over Türkiye with the voice-over, the ambience and the design along with the ideal, “Çanakkale is where we raise our flag”. The Çanakkale Wars Mobile Museum has received over 75,000 visitors from 62 cities and 110 districts and is still on the road. It has travelled over 25,000 kilometres at present. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 297 Mobile Cinema With the help of the Mobile Cinema Truck, it was ensured that the children, who could not easily access the cinema halls and who had no chance to go to the cinema in the places they lived, met with the cinema in 2020 in cooperation with Sanat İçin Yola Çık Kültür ve Sanat Derneği. The opportunities of children, who relatively had less chance to go to the cinema due to geographical constraints compared to children living in metropolises, for socialisation have further been restricted due to the pandemic. In this context, the Cine- ma Truck took the road in August 2020 to make children have a good time by supporting their cultural development and reduc- ing the adverse socio-psychological effects that the pandemic may have caused. Due to the pandemic, the open-air movies were shown by pro- viding the necessary technical equipment and in accordance with social distance rules, and one of the culturally sustainable normalisation steps was taken by displaying movies that chil- dren can watch with their families. 298 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The mobile cinema hall with a capacity of 81 people was used in such a way that while one seat was occupied, the other one was left empty due to the pandemic and 19,360 children watched movies in 440 sessions during the daytime. In a total of 176 ses- sions, in which the family movies selected for open-air projec- tion were shown, 35,200 people were reached. Additional activities for children were arranged during the event, in addition to film projections, such as music, dance, and drama, and children were informed about issues such as fight- ing the virus during the Covid-19. “Eşit Ağırlık” Programme “Eşit Ağırlık” programme was broadcast live on the YouTube channel and Twitter account of the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the slogan “Tout ensemble…(Her şey bir arada)” so that young people, who were expected to spend more time at home as a result of the restrictions imposed on social life, could spend quality time on social media more efficiently and increase their intellectual accumulation. Broadcast live from other corporate social media accounts, the programme aims to capture the pulse of the youth with its guests and topics rang- ing from sports to art, from humour to literature, from technol- ogy to politics. In the programme, which takes place in the form of conversation, young people can also have a voice via social media and ask questions to the guests. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 299 “The Stage is Yours” Concert Programme For young people, who were expected to spend more time at home, to spend quality time on social media, the focus was turned to online programmes. And within the scope of “The Stage is Yours” concert programme, a live concert, with the performances of a Youth Centre music club members and vol- unteers, was organised every week through an Instagram live broadcast from a Youth Centre. 300 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS “Kültür Mantarı” Online Educational Programmes To contribute to the personal development of young people who spend a lot of time in digital technologies and on the Inter- net during the pandemic, it was aimed to provide training and hold workshop programmes with interactive contents and vid- eos by expert instructors in drama, photography, history, writ- ing and caricature through the web-based digital programme called “Kültür Mantarı (Culture Vulture)”. New Breakthroughs in Cultural Infrastructure Shopping Mall Libraries To facilitate access to information and to develop reading cul- ture and habits during the Covid-19 period, and to encourage lifelong learning, the works to open libraries under the Minis- try of Culture and Tourism in the shopping malls, which have an important place in urban life, have been initiated and some have been put into service in various shopping malls. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 301 Works Carried Out in the field of Youth and Sports During the pandemic, a series of measures and aid activi- ties have been carried out in the field of youth and sports as in other fields. Online training, TV entertainment and sports programmes, and motivational activities were organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, especially for young people. Financial Aid to Sports Clubs Financial aid is provided for the amateur activities of the clubs registered by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. While the allo- 302 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS cation in the 2020 budget of the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the purpose of cash aid to sports clubs was 14,460,000.00 TL, the amount allocated to support sports clubs with finan- cial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic was increased to 45,615,000.00 TL, which was distributed in cash to a total of 6,121 sports clubs. Economic Support During the pandemic period, the Ministry of Youth and Sports provided important economic support as well as its aids to the youth and the sector: • It was ensured that commercial units, which were stat- ed to be temporarily unable to operate by the Ministry of Interior, among the real estate leased out by the Min- istry of Youth and Sports, did not pay a rental fee for the period starting from March 16, 2020, and were allowed to add the days to the lease duration they could not use due to force majeure. • It was ensured that the commercial units which earned their incomes only from the matches, from those partici- pating in the organisations and from the audiences and which were located in stadiums and sports halls where TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 303 football, volleyball, basketball, and handball matches- decided to be played without an audience and subse- quently postponed- would be held and commercial units located in the sports facilities (swimming pools, etc.) -whose activities were suspended- did not pay rental fees from March 13, 2020, to the date they would operate again. And they were allowed to add the days to the lease duration they could not use due to force majeure. • The commercial units that continued their activities but were affected within the scope of the measures taken were enabled to postpone their rental fees, cor- responding to March-April-May-June 2020, for a period of 4 months and interest-free upon the request of the relevant person. And they were allowed to add the days to the lease duration they could not use due to force ma- jeure or terminate it upon their request. • From March 19, 2020, when the leagues were post- poned, the facilities and the real estate rented to clubs, 304 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS federations, municipalities, public institutions, and or- ganisations for seasonal, annual, or longer terms, were enabled to postpone their rental fees, corresponding to March-April-May-June 2020, for a period of 4 months and interest-free upon the request. • The Ministry of Youth and Sports ceased the supervision assignments regarding the youth and sports facilities and dormitories under construction, which were includ- ed in the investment program, until April 30, 2020. • Due to the decision on November 17, 2020, to play sports competitions without an audience, the facilities and the real estate rented to clubs, federations, municipalities, public institutions, and organisations for seasonal, an- nual, or longer terms were enabled to postpone their rental fees from December 1, 2020, corresponding to December 2020 and January, February and March 2021, for a period of 4 months without interest upon their request. And they were allowed to add the days to the lease duration they could not use due to force majeure or terminate it if they so request. • Within the scope of the measures taken, the commer- cial units (excluding base stations, ATM areas), which were adversely affected, were enabled to postpone their rental fees corresponding to December 2020 and Janu- ary - February - March 2021 for a period of 4 months starting from December 1, 2020, upon the request of the lessees. And they were allowed to add the days to the lease duration they could not use due to force majeure or terminate it if they so request. Postponement of Payment of Student Loans To reduce the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economic life, the April, May, and June instalments of the borrowers, who TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 305 were indebted because of the student loans, were postponed for three months, limited to the 3-month period, without seek- ing an application requirement. Damla Volunteering Movement Within the scope of this project, selected primary schools, sec- ondary schools, high schools and village schools are visited with the participating young people. They aimed to be a role model for the students in primary and secondary schools, provide infor- mation about the choice of profession and university education in high schools, and be a good example for students. Awareness of the students is raised on love, respect, compassion, sharing, patriotism, unity, and solidarity. The nursing homes and senior rehabilitation centres are visited so that the elderly can share their experiences with the younger generation. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the volunteers of the Damla Vol- unteering Movement distributed hot meals to approximately 5,000 people every day as of April 14, 2020, with the “Share Your Food” movement in Ankara. Currently, 15,000 portions of hot meals are distributed daily. As of February 24, 2021, a total of 1,416,221 portions of hot meals were delivered to those in need. Online Activities Young people all around Türkiye can register for any online training and activities they like through the e-genc.gsb.gov.tr portal. It is now possible to apply online for training and ac- tivities carried out by youth centres through a new application. Young people around Türkiye can register for any online train- ing and activities they like through the e-genc.gsb.gov.tr portal, and if they are not members of any youth centres, they can sign up through the same portal. 306 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Deneyap Online Training The training at the Deneyap (Hands-on) Technology Work- shops has been suspended due to the pandemic. During this process, online orientation training programs are organised with experts in the field of science, technology, cybersecurity, and many other similar subjects so that young people stay at home and experience Deneyap excitement. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 307 EBA Access Points It is aimed for children and youth to learn about the Youth Centres and use the Youth Centres for their access to the In- ternet. In this context, Youth Centres, innovation workshops, and computer classrooms were organised in accordance with pandemic conditions, and EBA Access Points were established. Uninterrupted Sports Within the scope of the measures against coronavirus, it was decided that the league matches of team sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, and handball would be played without an audience. In the new normal process, matches and sports organisations were held without an audience. During the period when the matches could not be held, the trainers continued with the training online in order to maintain the condition of the athletes. 1,889 athletes in the Athlete Train- ing Centres, 600 athletes in the Olympic Swimming Pools, and 1,153 athletes in TOHM (Türkiye Olympic Preparation Centre) closely followed the training. 308 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS HisApp Application In order to prevent inactivity during the quarantine process due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and increase physical activity, the HisApp application projected in 2018 was launched for use. HisApp is a free local application implemented by the Sports for All Federation with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The application, which contains nearly 900 exer- cise videos and is an important individual exercise software, includes activity and training programmes from the simplest level to the professional level. HisApp also includes special content for individuals with visual, physical, and hearing dis- abilities. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 309 National Athlete Scholarship While some athletes sacrifice their sports careers in order to continue their education life, others have to quit their educa- tion due to their sports life with an intense training tempo. In order to put an end to the dilemma of sports versus educa- tion, a cooperation protocol was signed with 52 foundation universities that provide 100% training opportunities to in- ternationally successful national athletes in the Olympic and Paralympic branches. This year, 76 national athletes from 18 federations have benefitted from these opportunities. Everybody Will Learn Swimming! Since the pools were closed for certain periods due to the coro- navirus pandemic, portable pools were also utilised in order to reach the targeted number. Over 1 million people were reached in 2020. 310 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Motivation Camp for Healthcare Professionals and Their Children The programme was held on October 17-18, 2020, in Antalya Alaaddin Keykubat Youth Camp; on October, 24-25 in Aydın Efeler, Osmaniye Aslantaş, Mersin Maliye, Bursa Karacaali, Manisa Şehzadeler, and again in Antalya Alaaddin Keykubat Youth Camps; on October, 14-15, in Kastamonu Yolkonak Youth Camp. In order to ensure that they have a good day, spend a completely different day, experience a different atmosphere, and help reduce their stress level even for a moment, certain activities such as cycling, climbing, archery, golf, darts, handi- crafts, Bocce and other youth activities, in general, were offered in the youth camps. A total of 360 people were hosted in seven camps, including three blue camps in Bursa, Mersin, and Aydın provinces and four camps in Antalya, Osmaniye, Manisa, and Kastamonu provinces. “Evde Zinde” and “Evde Kal Zinde Kal” Programs Based on the idea that sport is the “only way” for citizens, who have to stay at their homes within the scope of the restrictions TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 311 imposed on quarantine days, to spend more quality time in terms of their health and to stay in form, “Evde Zinde” (Fit at Home), “Evde Kal Zinde Kal” (Stay Fit at Home) and many simi- lar sports programmes have been broadcast on TV screens. Within the scope of the “Evde Zinde” programme, it is aimed to introduce the exercises that citizens of all ages can easily do at home with short videos and to encourage them to do sports in a conscious way regardless of the place. The programme in- cludes exercises suitable for all age groups and different muscle groups. In the videos, which are planned to be 30 seconds, there are three expert athletes in their fields in order to ensure that the workouts are performed correctly and consciously. 11 videos have been prepared, and new contents are still being produced. The number of people who have accessed the videos is 2145. Twenty-one episodes of the “Evde Kal Zinde Kal” programme have been uploaded to the YouTube channel. A promotional trailer has been prepared for 21 episodes for social media. Çare Spor A television programme called “Çare Spor” (Sport is the An- swer) where the relatives of the exemplary persons while gain- ing their sports habits and the experts on the relevant subject shared their opinions, edited with animated transitions and music, finally ending with a message about the benefits of sports was prepared. Each episode had two versions of 7 min- utes and 1.5 minutes. The programme was broadcast on the so- cial media accounts of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the TRTSPOR2 channel. Online Sports Training Against the adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle on human health, it is aimed that citizens who are inactive at their homes 312 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS can have physical activities and healthy life courses on the In- ternet to make them overcome the pandemic process physical- ly and mentally. Fitness, Pilates, Chess, Step and Aerobics, Core Workouts, Home Sports, Folk Dances, Yoga, etc., and online sports and psychological training courses, especially including exercises and healthy nutrition, were started through various programs as of May 11, 2020, by the staff and contract trainers working in the Provincial Directorates of Youth and Sports. During the pandemic, 1,261 training programs were planned through 3,835 staff and contract trainers working in the Provin- cial Directorates of Youth and Sports. As of June 2, 2020, online sports and psychological counselling training were provided to 2,572 people in total under the guide of 1,047 trainers. Athlete Training Centres During the Covid-19 pandemic, periodic workout plans that could be performed at home during the isolation process for athletes were prepared on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. And the prepared training methods were based on branch- specific strength, resistance, flexibility, technique, tactics, etc. During the preparation of the training programs, support TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 313 was received from conditioners, national team trainers, and physiotherapists. The follow-up of the training plans of the student-athletes and their sports development (positive or negative) was carried out by phone calls and social media tools such as WhatsApp, Insta- gram, Zoom, Telegram, Bip, and also the students and parents sent videos to the trainers to make them follow the training. Training of Trainers during the Covid Period In order not to interrupt the basic training of the trainers, un- der the responsibility of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, five books composed of 5 different modules (Sport and Health Sciences, Training and Movement Sciences, Sports Manage- ment, Learning and Teaching in Sports, Psycho-Social Fields in Sports) and a total of 24 books for five training levels were prepared in the Basic Training System, with the distance edu- cation model. During the book preparation process, 121 aca- demics from various universities teaching in the field of Sports Sciences took part as chapter writers, 24 academics as book editors, and five academics as chief editor. These 24 books pre- pared in the field of Sport Sciences are seen as the most impor- tant reference source ever published. In addition to the books prepared by experts in Basic Training, all e-learning materials in written, audio, and visual forms are offered online to the ser- vice of the candidates. Two basic training periods were opened in 2020 and 2021; 13,932 candidates were accepted to the basic training pro- gramme in 2020, and the basic training and examination pe- riod was completed online. 14,935 candidates were accepted to the basic training programme opened in 2021. The Youth and Books Within the scope of the Covid-19 pandemic, book distribution activity was carried out for citizens brought to Türkiye from 314 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS various countries and quarantined in the dormitories of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. With this activity, it is aimed to contribute to the citizens in quarantine to spend quality time. Within this framework; as of March 21, 2020, totally 61,863 books were sent to the student dormitories in 76 provinces, es- pecially in Ankara, İstanbul, Konya, Sakarya, Samsun, and Si- vas, hospitalised patients and healthcare professionals, penal institutions in 13 provinces, as well as the youth who reached the Ministry through social media in this process. Besides, in 2020, 180,309 pieces of works were distributed, es- pecially to the Youth Centres under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, youth offices, book cafes, schools, various NGOs, and other public institutions. Covid-19 and Youth Study A survey about Covid-19 was conducted, targeting the youth. Along with the personal information, the questions about the handling of the Covid-19 period on the media, how the out- break affected their personal, social, and health conditions, how the fight against Covid-19 in Türkiye and the world was, were asked in the questionnaire. More than half of the youth participating in the study stated that observing social distance, TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 315 wearing masks and following hygiene rules are extremely im- portant in terms of slowing the spread of Covid-19. 41% of the participants in the study think that the Covid-19 out- break will not end before a year, and 26% of them think that it will never end. Despite the negative thoughts among the youth about the end of the Covid-19 disease, it has been found out that the fight against Covid-19 in Türkiye was more successful than the fight displayed in the world. Evinde Hep Kazandın After the leagues were cancelled during the pandemic, six films were prepared through the teams by giving the message that you are always the winner when you are at home. Evinde Hep Kazandın (You are Always Winner at Home) 316 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 317 3.13. Religious Services during the Pandemic Period In the process of combating the pandemic, the Presidency of Religious Affairs took necessary measures in cooperation with the relevant institutions and organisations in Türkiye and abroad in order to perform prayers in a proper, safe, healthy way to protect the rights of those who demand services. During the process, activities and services were maintained by paying the utmost attention not to interrupt the services and produce alternative online platforms. With alternative activities carried out through social media accounts, the target audience was en- riched, and more people were reached. In this context, many services under such categories as the pro- duction of religious knowledge, religious services, educational services, hajj and umrah services, and radio-television services were provided even during the fight against coronavirus. Production of Religious Knowledge Services such as the production of religious knowledge and the provision of answers to questions on religious matters were maintained even during the periods of curfew thanks to the decisions taken within the scope of the measures against Co- 318 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS vid-19, the fatwas prepared, press releases and technological applications (fetva.diyanet.gov.tr, goruntulufetva.diyanet.gov. tr, mobile fatwa application and fatwa Q&A hotline available seven days a week between 09:00 and 23:00 hrs). Religious Services Mosque Services • Khutbahs concerning the pandemic period were pre- pared and recited at Friday/Eid prayers at designated locations throughout the country. Citizens were in- formed about the coronavirus process and compliance with the measures taken, and reminders were made at the end of the khutbahs. • It was instructed on June 16, 2020, that the daily prayers and Friday prayers would not be performed in mosques, that funeral prayer would be performed at an appropri- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 319 ate time before the daily prayer hour, and that burial and condolence delivery would take place in the least crowded environment possible. • It was regulated that as of March 19, 2020, mosques were to be closed on Fridays and holy nights, and salat for Friday prayer would not be recited. • On March 20, 2020, guidelines were made available con- cerning the materials to be used in funeral washing and burial procedures by the staff tasked with carrying out such funeral services, as well as rules that they should follow. • On the occasion of the month of Ramadan, it was de- cided that salat would be recited before the isha prayer time, and public supplication would be recited from the minarets following the isha prayer as of the last week of March. The supplication recitation performed every 320 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS day following the Isha prayer was terminated as of the isha prayer on Saturday, May 23, 2020. • On the occasion of holy and blessed nights, certain TV programmes were shot in certain mosques without a congregation and broadcast on TRT 1 and Diyanet TV channels on respective days. • Starting from March 27, 2020, at Beştepe People’s Mosque, Friday prayers began to be performed in differ- ent mosques every week with limited attendance and observing social distancing rules. • The poster, prepared about the rules to be followed in mosques and masjids during congregational prayers, was hung in all mosques and masjids and announced on the muftiate websites and social media accounts. • As of June 24, 2020, congregational prayers began to be performed in mosques five times a day by observing, particularly, the social distancing rules, wearing masks and bringing a prayer rug along while going to a mosque, as well as the points set out in the circular on “Measures to Be Taken in Mosques and Places of Worships.” TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 321 Family and Religious Counselling Services Religious counselling services were provided by 3,150 personnel at 430 Family and Religious Counselling Offices/Centres through the answers to citizens’ questions via telephone, e-mail, and in- person. “Spiritual Support and Values Education Courses” con- tinued online through social media platforms in social service institutions such as children’s homes, children’s home complexes, child support centres and women’s shelters affiliated to the Minis- try of Family, Labour and Social Services. Nursing home residents from nearly 250 organisations participated in these programs. In addition, live broadcast programs with educational and re- ligious guidance content focused on the family were broadcast through official social media accounts created on behalf of Family and Religious Counselling Offices. Within the scope of “the Family Educations Project in the Pan- demic Period”, 2,868,454 citizens benefited from 1,910 programs organised by 81 provincial mufti offices through social media ac- counts from October 5 to December 31, 2020. During the pandemic period, 1,535,308 citizens benefited from 322 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 3,875 activities focusing on the family, children, women and the elderly, such as family conversations, Islamic knowledge cours- es, siyar-hadith readings, children’s programs, audio articles, book-periodical discussions and values education with stories, organised by provincial/district Family and Religious Counsel- ling Offices/Centres. Within the scope of the “Peaceful Family, Strong Society, Safe Future Project,” seminars on eight topics were organised for en- gaged and married couples throughout the year. In this context, 7,907 people attended the “First Step to Marriage Seminar” held 671 times, 91 of which featured in-person attendance and 580 fea- tured online participation. Religious Services with Social and Cultural Content A total of 62,700 personnel, including 40,372 officials within Vefa Social Support Groups and 23,328 religious officials out- side Vefa Social Support Groups, were there to help citizens and provided material and spiritual support to carry out the process more sensitively. In addition, spiritual counsellors and youth coordinators tasked at state dormitories organised meetings, conversations, and studies through social media platforms to ensure that the youth activities were not inter- rupted. Youth-focused activities were continued by forming groups on WhatsApp. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 323 Migration and Spiritual Support Services In the Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Peace Spring opera- tion regions, religious services and educational activities are carried out by 2,250 officials in 867 mosques. A total of 58,808 students, including 27,189 girls, receive education in the region. All measures implemented in Türkiye due to the Covid-19 pan- demic are simultaneously implemented beyond the border as well. In this context, • Circulars on Measures against Covid-19, published on March 16-19, 2020, were translated into Arabic and com- municated to religious officials. • In order to ensure the continuity of the Qur’an educa- tion, which was interrupted due to the Covid-19 pan- demic, the courses began to be carried out through re- mote learning from March. Currently, a controlled and gradual transition to face-to-face education is initiated in appropriate regions. In this framework, the face-to- face Qur’an course was resumed with 45,985 students studying in the region. • An online workshop on “Covid-19 and the Role of Re- ligious Officials in Combating the Pandemic” was held for 100 local religious officials. • More than 150 videos were filmed and edited within the scope of remote Qur’an learning and provided on social media for students beyond the border. • Advanced Turkish Courses for immigrants continues online at the Migration and Spiritual Support Centres. A group of graduate students comprised of students with leadership abilities was formed, and they partake in voluntary social and cultural activities. • A book titled “Spiritual Support in the Pandemic Peri- od” was prepared. 324 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Education Services Common Religious Education Services Educational activities at all levels were suspended in the 2019- 2020 academic year in March 2020. On September 28, 2020, face-to-face education began, and these sessions continued until November 16, 2020. A mid-term break was given on No- vember 16-23, 2020. In this context, • Education was suspended in need-oriented Qur’an courses on November 25, 2020. A directive has been sent stating that the courses would be continued through distance education beginning November 27, 2020. • On December 02, 2020, distance education was started in the 4-6 age group Qur’an courses. • On December 15, 2020, the project of “Türkiye, come on, let’s learn the Qur’an at home” was initiated online. • On February 15, 2021, the 2020-2021 academic year 2nd term courses began online. • The directive, issued on February 26, 2021, stated that face-to-face education could begin. A material titled “Religious Education Information Notes for the Stu- dents of the Qur’an Course” was prepared and uploaded to the website, https://egitimhizmetleri.diyanet.gov.tr/ kategoriler/materyaller • With the suspension of education in the Qur’an courses, distance education programs were organised on Di- yanet TV as of April 7, 2020, for Qur’an course teachers and parents every Tuesday for eight weeks, titled “Val- ues Education in Childhood Period”, on the programme TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 325 “Hello to the New Day”; and for children on 17.00-18.00 every day with the titles “I Learn from Home” and “Childish Stories and Tales” on the programme “Chil- dren’s Hour.” • Since it was predicted that there would be difficulties concerning the issues of maintaining social distance, using masks, complying with the hygiene rules, and so on, three different programs were organised within the scope of distance education on Diyanet TV for six weeks called “Summer Qur’an Courses, I Learn My Re- ligion,” “Summer Qur’an Courses I Learn Qur’an” and “Summer Qur’an Courses I Read Qur’an.” • During the pandemic, a Diyanet TV programme called “Cheerful Friends Street” was created to aid in the edu- cation of Qur’an courses for children aged 4-6. The pro- gramme consisted of two different parts for values edu- cation and elifba (alphabet) teaching. • In accordance with the principles of implementation of the Qur’an courses in the 2020-2021 academic year, Qur’an courses education began on September 28, 2020; the number of courses has been reduced, with the courses carried out alternately and with appointments. Hafizship Education Services • Education was suspended at all levels in Qur’an courses where hafizship education was given between March 16 and 29, 2020, and it was decided to continue hafizship education through internet and informatics facilities in the form of distance education as of March 30. • Student letters were prepared by holding online meet- ings with the GPC (Guidance and Psychological Coun- 326 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS selling) teachers to protect the morale and motivation of students receiving hafizship education during the pandemic period. • In order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of hafizship education, strengthen communication with students and parents, and give motivational support in the distance education process, a GPC work was pre- pared for hafizship students and their parents with the contributions of Guidance and Psychological Counsel- ling experts and sent to muftiate offices. • With the initiation of the gradual normalisation steps in line with the decisions taken, the gradual normalisation process was also initiated in the Qur’an courses where hafizship education was given, and face-to-face educa- tion was initiated between June 15 and September 27, 2020, with 30% of the current boarding capacity. Hajj and Umrah Services • Hajj and Umrah services application was developed to be used on mobile phones. • The 2019-2020 Umrah season was closed by the Presi- dency of Religious Affairs at the end of February. • The returns from Umrah were planned in coordination with the Ministry of Health. As applied in the case of other passengers entering the country, precautions such as thermal cameras and such were implemented, infor- mation regarding pandemic measures was provided, in- formation on the incoming citizens was shared with the relevant units of the Ministry of Health and their health checks were carried out at certain times, and they were recommended to comply with the 14-day quarantine rule. • When a citizen returning from Umrah tested positive for coronavirus on March 14, 2020, the Ministry of Health TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 327 quarantined our citizens returning from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah, working, or with a residence permit as of March 15, 2020, in the student dormitories of the KYK (Higher Education Credit and Hostels Insti- tution) in Ankara, Konya, Eskişehir, Isparta, and Kay- seri provinces. • The Presidency of Religious Affairs met the personal needs of umrah pilgrims who were quarantined in the KYK dormitories. • As of February 27, 2020, flights were suspended from Saudi Arabia to Türkiye. Our citizens aged 65 and over who signed in to perform Umrah worship after that date but who could not travel due to the pandemic were refunded at their homes, as they were under curfew. • According to the pilgrim’s preference, in cases of waiver or postponement of rights for the 2021 pilgrimage, the designated authorities to apply and steps to be followed regarding the registration and fee refund document procedures have been clearly stated. Accordingly, it was stated that the prospective pilgrims could carry out their transactions at the provincial/district muftiate of- fices via the e-government identity verification system at www.hac.gov.tr, or if they wished, from the agencies they were registered. • It has been announced that the prospective pilgrims who have made their final registration in 2020 may choose to postpone their rights to 2021 or to waive their rights of pilgrimage in 2021. A public announce- ment was made stating that the pilgrim candidates who wished to waive their rights in the 2021 pilgrimage or- ganisation would be fully refunded, and the drawing lots and registration of pilgrims resume for the follow- ing years with the number of drawing lots they have ac- quired. 328 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Radio, Television and Broadcast Services In order to strengthen the spiritual feelings and support our spiritual world; fulfil our citizens’ longing for mosques during the period when prayers could not be performed in mosques with the congregation; contribute to the learning of Qur’an and religious education of children; enable children to spend qual- ity time at home and encourage adaptation to the new normal, various programs have been broadcast on Diyanet TV and ra- dios during the pandemic process. Furthermore, 295 works from the Presidency of Religious Af- fairs’ publications were made available free of charge in the digital environment to citizens who remained at home during the Covid-19 process. Digital publications were downloaded 1,750,000 times in 2020, and 400,000 books were sent to uni- versities, schools, and prisons. Religious Services Abroad The Presidency of Religious Affairs did not suspend its reli- gious education and social and cultural activities abroad dur- ing the pandemic period. Educational Services Distance education programs were planned in coordination with foreign consultancy and attaché offices, and religious edu- cation services abroad continued without interruption. Officials from the Presidency of Religious Affairs also attended the on- line lessons and conversation programs organised for children, young people and adults, and citizens abroad were not left alone in this process. Foreign Language Courses for 74 trainees (Ger- man 37, French 18, Dutch 17), which were suspended in line with the measures taken within the scope of Covid-19 pandemic on March 18, 2020, were completed in the form of “distance educa- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 329 tion” on March 30, 2020 - April 22, 2020. The trainees achieved the same success and received the A1 and A2 certificates re- quired for visa procedures. Despite the pandemic period, pro- ceedings continued to be carried out within the scope of the In- ternational Theology Programme (UIP). • Interviews of the candidates applying for UIP were con- ducted between June 23 - July 1 and 2020 in Türkiye, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France; inter- viewing and placement results were announced on Au- gust 12, 2020. The International Theology Programme 2020-2021 student lists were notified to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) on August 7, 2020. • Students who had previously enrolled and were con- tinuing their education began distance education in line with the universities’ practices. Distance education implementation is still in effect. • Facilities were provided to the students staying in dor- mitories during the distance education process. Neces- sary permissions were given to students returning to their families and their hometowns. 330 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Students’ scholarships began to be paid with the start of the 2020-2021 academic year with distance education. Social and Cultural Activities During this process, support groups were formed in collabora- tion with local authorities abroad, and citizens living abroad were provided with material and spiritual assistance. Family Seminars Abroad were organised in this context. Family Semi- nars Abroad were organised to contribute to the protection and strengthening of the family structure, as well as to ensure that citizens received accurate religious knowledge about the fam- ily based on religious advice and guidance. Only three seminars could be held in 2020, out of a total of 12 “Family Seminars” scheduled to take place face to face. These seminars planned to be held face-to-face were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and were held online in 2021. In addi- tion, 50 online seminars were held in 11 countries for different regions and associations in January-February 2021. To date, 7,500 people have been reached through the seminars. Türkiye Diyanet Foundation’s Services Türkiye Diyanet Foundation has supported those in need af- fected by the pandemic by mobilising all its resources. • The Türkiye Diyanet Foundation’s well-known volun- teers from the arts and culture community have sup- ported the less advantaged people by calling for help for them through campaigns and social responsibility projects such as “Goodness Time for Türkiye,” “May your Path be Goodness”, and “Now it’s Goodness Time” for citizens suffering financial difficulties as part of the measures against coronavirus. • In this process, the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation pro- duced projects in accordance with state policies in col- TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 331 laboration with the Presidency of Religious Affairs, ini- tiated an aid mobilisation to support and give hope to citizens who have faced challenges since the onset of the virus with its 1,003 branches in Türkiye, and thus directed all donors to the “Goodness Package” donation campaign category which consisted of the basic food- stuff and hygiene materials prepared against Covid-19. • With its Goodness Package and other campaign dona- tions, the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation has been work- ing to reach out to all of our citizens who have been facing material and spiritual challenges, particularly the elderly over 65, the disabled, people with illnesses, tradespeople, and students. • While contributing to the work carried out by Vefa Social Support Groups established under the Governorates, religious officials and volunteers also performed vari- ous activities such as delivering aid packages to those in need, cash aid support, shopping assistance cards, withdrawing the salaries of people with illnesses and over the age of 65 and delivering them to their homes; providing medicines; shopping for them, delivering re- ligious offerings such as appreciation, aqiqah and grati- tude votives to the needy, distributing the Holy Qur’an, prayer rugs and catering materials, producing masks and visors, in addition to spiritual support visits, gar- dening, painting, dismantling and installing stoves for the elderly and people with illnesses, breaking wood, disinfecting the streets and avenues, and supporting the filiation teams. • Aid amounting to 6,350,138 TL was delivered to 49,932 families by 39,773 religious officials and 3,011 volunteers through the branches throughout Türkiye. 332 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • 6,636,887 TL were transferred to the campaign “We are Self-Sufficient, Türkiye,” initiated by the Presidency through the Foundation. • In the month of Ramadan, 111,000 pieces of shopping aid cards of 50 TL (totalling 5,550,000 TL) were deliv- ered to citizens who have been suffering material and spiritual damages due to the pandemic along with the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation Branches and Vefa Social Support Groups. During the feast, 5,000 feast aid cards totalling 500,000 TL were delivered to the children through branches. • Despite the pandemic, 39,267 goodness packages, 46,800 iftar packages and 11,140 feast packages were distributed in 39 countries and 183 regions during Ramadan. • During Eid al-Adha, 74,200 share sacrifice entrusted to the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation and its branches were sacrificed and delivered to those in need, who have been suffering material and spiritual damages due to the pandemic. • 483.111 share sacrifice entrusted to the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation have been sacrificed in 74 countries and 308 regions abroad and delivered to those in need. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 333 • During the pandemic, 4,800 shares of appreciation, aq- iqah and gratitude votives were sacrificed within the country, and the sacrificial meat was delivered to citi- zens who suffered material and spiritual damages due to the pandemic and also those in need. • During the pandemic, over 15,000 shares of appre- ciation, aqiqah and gratitude votives were sacrificed through the partners and counsellor’ offices abroad and distributed to those in need. • As a result of the increased water demand during the pandemic, the construction of the well and the founda- tion fountain, conducted by the Türkiye Diyanet Foun- dation, has been accelerated. In 2020, 143 water wells were drilled in 20 countries, 38 water wells and foun- dation fountains were built in five countries as of Feb- ruary 2021, and 477 water wells have been completed in 38 countries worldwide, which more than 6 million people have utilised. • During the pandemic, the tenants operating in various business areas owned by Türkiye Diyanet Foundation were also protected and provided conveniences such as postponement and non-increase. In this context, nearly 1,500 tenants were provided convenience throughout Türkiye in 2020, and rental fees totalling approximate- ly 7,000,000 TL were postponed and split into six equal instalments. 334 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • During the pandemic, rent fees were not raised for ap- proximately 850 tenants in the Foundation’s workplac- es for the year 2021, and most tenants were provided convenience by raising the fees below the inflation rate. Due to the lack of an increase, the Foundation gave up its rental receivables of approximately 3,000,000 TL. In addition, the Türkiye Diyanet Foundation has also stood by the students during the pandemic process and allowed them to receive education uninterruptedly. • By organising online education and camping programs for students, it was ensured that their education was not interrupted. In particular, interviews with interna- tional students who wished to study in Türkiye were held on-site, and they were enabled to arrive in Türkiye. • Within the scope of International Scholarship Pro- grams; 2,620 students and trainees receive education at International Anatolian Imam Hatip High School, International Theology, International Theology Gradu- ate Scholarship, International High Schools Alumni Support, International Qur’an Courses Training and TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 335 Trainee Support Programs at the International Reli- gious High Specialisation Centres of the Presidency of International Religious Affairs. • Within the scope of domestic scholarship and education programs, 2,835 were provided with scholarships and educational support in the Scholarship Programs of the Theology Academy, Special Support Academy, Gradu- ate Theology Academy, and Scholarship Programs of National Students Attending International Imam Hatip High Schools and Hafiz Project Schools. 336 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 337 3.14. Scientific Studies, Projects and Publications The inability to predict the physical and social effects of the novel coronavirus that affects the entire world, and a lack of knowledge about combat methods, have increased the need for a scientific approach. In addition, informing the public is of particular im- portance in fighting against the pandemic. In this context, while scientific studies and projects have been produced to investigate the virus’s diagnosis and treatment methods, various institutions have published guidelines, manuals, and books. Many institutions, especially the Scientific and Technological Re- search Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK), which aims to promote, di- rect and popularise science and technology in Türkiye, have car- ried out important projects and publications. Scientific Studies and Projects TÜBİTAK’s SME R&D Startup Support Programme • During the fight against the pandemic, in addition to its ongoing support, TÜBİTAK launched two special calls within the scope of the SME R&D Startup Sup- port Programme. A total of 17.5 million TL support was provided for 48 projects as part of these calls. Within the scope of the first call, the “Call to Fight Against Co- 338 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS vid-19”, 446 applications were received by 444 compa- nies, and after evaluation, 35 projects on intensive care devices, diagnostics, masks, medication, disinfection, other PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), informat- ics applications and vaccination were ensured to be supported with a budget of 13.4 million TL. • With the project call launched by the Development Agencies, entitled “Struggle and Resilience Programme against Covid-19”, the projects submitted by SMEs with R&D potential were evaluated under the SME R&D Start- up Support Programme. During the Covid-19 period, the commercialisation process of eight projects was com- pleted first, and the commercialisation procedures of 29 projects are ongoing within the scope of both calls for SMEs. Along with these, four projects focusing on social responsibility were developed for community service. Intern Researcher Scholarship Programme (STAR) The call on the Intern Researcher Scholarship Programme (STAR), which was initiated to encourage and support researchers who would take part in projects for the diagnosis and treatment of Cov- id-19, was held open between April 8, 2020, and April 20, 2020. • During the 12 days that the call was available, 340 stu- dents and researchers applied with a total of 70 different projects. 300 (88%) of them were entitled to be support- ed. STAR scholarship holders from Türkiye’s 40 prov- inces were involved in the Covid-19 research process. Moreover, 209 of the 300 supported researchers were women. STAR scholarship holders serve in the fields of vaccination, medication, diagnostic kits, treatment methods, disinfectant manufacturing, biomedicine, medical masks, bioinformatics and medical textiles. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 339 Supporting Solution-Oriented Young Entrepreneurs Thanks to the fellowship and support of many entrepreneurs, uni- versities, non-governmental organisations, ministries and private companies, the “Coronathon Türkiye” competition was held in or- der to seek creative solutions to the problems caused by the virus. • With the competition, it was decided to provide sup- port through implementing agencies, which collaborat- ed under the TÜBİTAK Individual Young Entrepreneur Programme. An additional budget of 600 thousand TL was provided for the accelerator programs to be carried out by Boğaziçi University Technology Transfer Office, İTÜ Çekirdek and METU Teknokent, which were three of the implementing agencies designated for Covid-19. • In the EU vs Virus Hackathon organised by the Euro- pean Commission, the entrepreneur teams, including Turkish entrepreneurs, were among the teams which ranked in five different categories. 340 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Social Sciences and Humanities-Oriented Call on Covid-19 and Society • A total of 682 project applications, 680 of which were from Türkiye and 2 of which were from the Turkish Re- public of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), were received with- in the scope of the call on “Covid-19 and Society: Social, Human and Economic Effects of the Pandemic, Prob- lems and Solutions”. As part of the projects decided to be supported with a budget of approximately 10 million TL, 97 projects were enforced and supported. • Projects with a maximum duration of six months were finalised and provided decision-makers and practitio- ners with guiding contributions during and after the pandemic. The findings obtained, the goals achieved, and the recommendations produced were publicly an- nounced at the “Covid-19 and Society: Social, Human and Economic Effects of the Pandemic, Problems and Solutions” event. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 341 Project Name Executing Agency Early Detection of Respiratory Diseases Related to Covid-19 and Its Integration into Tele-Health Service with Speech, Sound and Cough Analysis Software Etimesgut Şehit Sait Ertürk State Hospital Development of Artificial Intelligence Supported Smart Camera Systems for Social Distance Detection to Fight Against Covid-19 Akdeniz University Supervised and Unsupervised Measurement and Evaluation System for Distance Education Harran University Preparation of a Training Set for Different Segments of Society With the Aim of Reducing / Preventing the Spread of the Disease During and After the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic University of Health Sciences Project Ev-Des: Design and Implementation of Online Home Support Programme for Parents of Children Diagnosed with Developmental Retardation / Disability in Early Childhood Anadolu University Development of Artificial Intelligence Supported Student Monitoring and Evaluation System for E-Trainers Hacettepe Üniversitesi Supporting the Measurement and Evaluation Processes of Academic Staff with an Online Training Portal in Distance Education Bartın University An Analysis of the Perceptions and Emotions of Primary and Secondary School Students Related to the Distance Education Process During the Covid-19 Period Yıldız Technical University 342 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Development of a Software with Digital Process and Algorithmic Model for Multifaceted Internship Plan Based on Temporal Continuity In Architecture and Design Education in Cases of Pandemic /Disaster Altınbaş University Interactive Evaluation Platform (EDA) Trabzon University A New Distance Education Model and Application Platform in Higher Education Sakarya University Distance Education in Universities During the Covid-19 Period: Capacities of Universities, Adaptation of Faculty Members and Satisfaction of Students Akdeniz University Development of a Guideline to Support Remote User Experience Research Process Middle East Technical University From Trauma to Resilience: Balance- Seeking Behaviours of Nurse-Parents in Hospital and Family Life During the Covid-19 Period İstanbul Kültür University Determining the Needs of Digital Content Ecosystem for the Presentation of Educational Content in Higher Education Anadolu University Effect of Covid-19 on the Quality of Life of Children with Special Needs and Their Families: A Mixed Design Study Ondokuz Mayıs University Examining the Distance Higher Education Applications During the Pandemic Period and Producing Experience-Based Policy Recommendations on Open and Distance Education Atatürk University TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 343 A Humor-Analysis and Enrichment of Distance Education Programme Contents Provided for Primary Schools During the Pandemic Period Hasan Kalyoncu University Distance Higher Education During the Covid-19 Period: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis Abdullah Gül University Planning, Implementing and Evaluating a Short-Term Electronic Mentorship Programme to Support Prospective Teachers’ Professional and Psycho- Social Development Trabzon University Development of an Online Exam System To Increase Test Security and Provide Partial Scoring in Multiple Choice Tests Hasan Kalyoncu University Flexible Work Management System Development Project: Standards and Practices to Support Business Continuity and Psychological Well- being of Employees Istanbul Bilgi University Analysis of the Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic on the Food Retail Industry and Solution Suggestions for Future Development Istanbul Technical University Investigating the Relationship Between Consumption and Self- Control in Consumption Habits and Vulnerability in the Accessing of Resources During Coronavirus Measures Period: Determining the Effects of Psychological Well-Being, Individual Resilience, Social Capital and Pro-Social Behaviours and Developing Policy Recommendations Istanbul Technical University Longitudinal Investigation of The Traumatic Effect of Covid-19 on Health Workers in the Frame of Memory Kadir Has University 344 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Mental Health Studies Relating to the Covid-19 Pandemic: Assessment of Psychological Difficulties Caused by the Pandemic, Development of Mobile Phone Based Applications and Web- Based Psycho- Development Packages Hacettepe University The Effect of Compulsory Working from Home On Workers’ Health and Home-Work Conflicts In the Shadow of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Research Sabancı University Organisational and Psychological Intervention For Health Workers in the Fight Against Covid-19 Dokuz Eylül University Coping Styles and the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between the Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic and Anxiety and Depression Symptoms Bahçeşehir University The Use of Virtual Reality in the Recovery of Cultural Tourism from Travel Restrictions Akdeniz University Effects of Covid-19 on the Cognitive and Psycho-Social Development of Children and Teenagers and Their Academic Life Middle East Technical University Investigation of the Effects of Parents’ Individual, Familial and Environmental Stress Factors On Psychological Health of Children in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic Özyeğin University Investigation of Individual, Familial and Social Factors That Protect Well-being in the Covid-19 Pandemic Period Kadir Has University From a Network Analysis Perspective: Psycho-Social Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic Kadir Has University TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 345 Pandemic Fiqh in Terms of Worship, Treatment and Economics Social Sciences University of Ankara The Effects of Spirituality, Awareness, Cognitive Control and the Role of Variables on Common Anxiety Caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic İzmir University of Economics Determination of Mental Health Protection Factors in Individuals That Have a History of Testing Positive for Covid-19 Kilis 7 Aralık University Frequency of Psychological Symptoms Associated with the Covid-19 Pandemic: Worsening of Symptoms, Related Risk Factors and Protective Factors Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Development of E-Psychological Support Based on Cognitive Therapy for Health Workers and Evaluation of Its Effectiveness Gaziantep University Reflections on Covid-19 Pandemic on Psycho-Social Health of Women during Pregnancy and Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study Akdeniz University Effect of Covid-19 on Harmony of Marriage İstanbul Medeniyet University Threat Perception of Writing Gratitude in the Corona Period and Its Relation to Anxiety For the Future Ankara University The Relationship Between Pandemic- related Beliefs, Coping Strategies and Psychopathology in Individuals Diagnosed with and without Covid-19: A Longitudinal Study Işık University Investigation of Behavioural Factors Related To Covid-19 Akdeniz University 346 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The Role of Social Norms and Collaborative Strategies in Supporting and Adhering to the Policies Implemented and the Measures Taken in The Fight Against Covid-19 Dokuz Eylül University How Can We Maximise Compliance with Preventative Measures? The Effect of Personal and Social Benefit Messages Kadir Has University Social Relations Model Approach to the Quality Of Family Relations in the Covid-19 Period: The Centrality of Covid-19, Perceived Difference and Self-Control Sabancı University The Effect of Ageism in Young People’s Risky Behaviours Related to Social Distance Measures: An Anonymous Online Programme Proposal for Raising Prejudice Awareness Bursa Uludağ University The Effect of Newspaper Reading and Social Media Use of Individuals in Protective Behaviour from Covid-19 Koç University Covid-19’s Impact on the Psychological Problems in Türkiye and Self-Help and Intervention, a Feasibility Study on “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide” Koç University Cyberchondria, Fear of Covid-19, Health Anxiety, Obsessions, Sleep Quality, and Affect: A Blended Structural Equation Modelling Approach Ankara University Ethic Dilemmas Health Workers Experience During the Fight Against the Pandemic And Development of Sensitive Resilience To Ethical Values Nişantaşı University TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 347 Different Dynamics of Coping Strategies of the Youth Regarding the Covid-19 Pandemic Ankara University Covid-19’s Effects on Perception of Old Age And the Elderly and Public Policy Recommendations to Improve the Public Image of the Elderly Ankara University Covid-19 Experiences of Households With Different Levels of Social Vulnerability And Their Expectations of The Near Future: The Example of Istanbul TED University Digital Skill-building for Women over 65 Under Social Isolation Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Covid-19’s Effect on Intergenerational Solidarity in Türkiye Ankara University Analysis of Covid-19 Experiences of the Elderly in Istanbul and Development of A Social Resilience Measure for the Elderly Project İstanbul Kent University Coping Strategies in Old Age: Experiences of Lonely Women During the Covid-19 Period Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Investigation of the Effects of Online Support Services Regarding the Quality of Living and Physical Activities of Mentally Deficient People Aged 25-50 That Stay at Home Due to Covid-19 and Their Mothers İstanbul Kent University Covid-19 From the Perspective of the Consumer: Drafting Effective Policies for Food Consumption During the Pandemic Using Behavioural Insight Ege University 348 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Covid-19’s Impact on the Tourism Industry And Comparative Analysis of Countries’ Crisis Management Strategies Pamukkale University Evaluating the Activities of Institutions Providing Social Service in Istanbul During the Covid-19 Pandemic Period and Developing a Proactive Business Plan within Strategic Social Management for the Second Wave Crisis İstanbul Aydın University Covid-19’s Effects on the Turkish Economy and Politics of Alternative Macroeconomic General Equilibrium Analysis İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Assumption of The Negative Impact of External and Internal Economic Development Caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic on Türkiye: Proposing Alternative Policy Packages for Eliminating Those Effects Akdeniz University Examining the Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic with Sectoral and General Uncertainty Indices and Sectoral Emergency Measures Abdullah Gül University Covid-19’s Effect on Residential and Commercial Property Prices: The Case of Türkiye Samsun University Labor Market, Income Losses and Domestic Production in the Covid-19 Pandemic Bahçeşehir University Measurement of the Adaptability of SMEs Operating in the TRC2 Region to the Covid-19 Process and the Analysis of the Improvement of Competition Conditions from the Industry 4.0 Perspective Harran University TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 349 Statistical Analysis, Modeling and Development of Possible Risk Index of Covid-19 Data Ankara University The Effects of Uncertainties Brought by the Covid-19 Pandemic on Social, Economic and Political Preferences and Behaviour Patterns: The Role of Risk Perception Boğaziçi University The Covid-19 Pandemic and Care Services Crisis from a Gender Perspective: The Employment Impact of Public Investments in Care Services İstanbul Technical University Determining the Effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Commercial Activities in Istanbul And Proposing Solutions İstanbul Commerce University Information Seeking and Information Assessment of Elderly People in the Covid-19 Period Hacettepe University Occupational Health and Safety During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic and New Working Models That The Pandemic Will Accelerate Ankara University How “Life Fits Into Home” Will Transform the Home: Housing Design Strategies for the Covid-19 Period and its Aftermath İstanbul Kültür University Covid-19 Pandemic and Crisis in the Cinema Industry Mersin University Improving the Sustainability of Social Networks İstanbul University Fragile Commons and Risk Communication in Türkiye During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Communication- Oriented Analysis of the Risk Perception of the Risk Group Aged 65 Years and Older Ankara University 350 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Crisis Communication: Regulative Communicational Approaches in the Light of the Lessons to be Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic Ankara University Covid-19 Turkish Tax Policy, Orientations and Legal Priorities Altınbaş University Research on the Attitude of Individuals Against False Information and the Determinants of These Attitudes for Effective Fight Against the “Infodemic”: The Case of Covid-19 Istanbul Bilgi University The Urban During the Pandemic Period: A Research in terms of Expectation-Capacity in Procuring Urban Immunisation (the Case of Lakes Region) Süleyman Demirel University The Contingency of the Physical Distance and Isolation Fragility in Immediate Environment Ecology: Developing Public Communication Policy Recommendations Encouraging Abidance Regarding the Responsibilities and Expectations Ege University Understanding the Dissemination of False Information Within the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic in Türkiye from the Perspective of Media Users and Recommendations to Improve Preventive Action Kadir Has University Problems Arising from Digital Transformation in Local Authorities due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and Proposed Solutions: The Case of Bartın Province Bartın University Evaluation of Local Services Provided to Elderly People within the Context of Covid-19 Outbreak and the Vefa Social Support Group: Kayseri Talas Metropolitan District Municipality Nuh Naci Yazgan University TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 351 The Health Safety Perception of Children and Their Parents Who Cannot Leave Their House During the Fight Against the Covid-19 Pandemic Period Regarding the Urban Space and the Possible Effect on Children’s Physical Activity Levels in the Normalisation Process Dokuz Eylül University Perspectives of Community Service Providers in Local Governments on Covid-19 with an Interdisciplinary Approach and Solution Suggestions İzelman General Service Parking Special Education Firefighting and Health Services Trade Inc. Interactive Interface Design and Design Guide for Online Education for Applied Courses in Art, Design and Architecture Departments of Universities under Pandemic Conditions Yıldız Teknik University Transformative Impact of the Global Covid-19 Pandemic on Contemporary Art in Türkiye Kadir Has University Management of Electricity Supply, Generation Resources and Demand during the Covid-19 Pandemic Period Kadir Has University Modelling and Simulation Software for Determining Sectoral Optimal Incentive Policies and Increasing Strategic Competitiveness During the Covid-19 Pandemic Period Ankara University Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Supply Chain Management in the Ready- to-Wear Sector and Possible Proposed Solutions Ege University Investigation of the Effectiveness of Digital Applications in the Follow-up of Obesity Patients whose Follow-up and Treatment Process were Disrupted Due to the Covid-19 Global Pandemic Antalya Education and Research Hospital Bringing the Covid-19 Patients in the Intensive Care Unit Together with Their Relatives: Virtual Visitation Koç University Online Training Programme Model for Effective Management of Nursing Services in Times of Covid-19 Pandemic and Similar Crisis İstanbul University 352 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Covid-19 – Oriented International Collaborations TÜBİTAK provides research support on Covid-19 within the scope of bilateral cooperation calls initiated with the United Kingdom, People’s Republic of China and Iran, as well as calls for Southeast Asia - Europe Joint Funding Scheme (SEAEU JFS), EUREKA Programme and the ECSEL Joint Initiative. Within the scope of these calls, 55 project applications were received, and the application evaluation process is still ongoing. The strong science and technology-based fight that Türkiye has been con- ducting against Covid-19 were brought to the agenda at vari- ous international meetings. Türkiye’s achievements within the scope of the European Research Area (ERA) Corona Action Plan (ERAvsCORONA) of the European Union were shared with as- sociating countries and attracted attention. • The project achievements obtained within the scope of Horizon 2020 continued to be effective in the field of Covid-19 as well. In the calls for the “Science with and for the Society” field, a pandemic virus monitor- ing application that provides effective information transfer between science and society is being devel- oped in the PandeVITA project. There are seven part- ners from five different countries in the project in total. • The achievements of the “Covid-19 Türkiye Platform” were represented at the 9th Global Summit of Lead- ers of Research Institutions at the Science Technolo- gy Forum. The Covid-19-oriented mobilisation of the ecosystem was shared at high-level meetings held within the scope of the International Organisation of Scientific Organisations (ANSO) of the Belt and Road Initiative. • At the virtual meeting held between Türkiye, Malay- sia, Indonesia and Pakistan research institutions, the success of Türkiye’s “ Covid-19 Türkiye Platform” was emphasised, and the post-Covid-19 period was dis- cussed. Bilateral talks were also held with Indonesia TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 353 and a vaccine oriented technical workshop was or- ganised. Related cooperation opportunities contrib- ute to the developments of the Kuala Lumpur Sum- mit Centre of Excellence. • During the Covid-19 period, international scientific and technological cooperation opportunities, par- ticularly with Ukraine, Moldova, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico and Brazil, also began to rise, and new coop- eration agreements were brought up in the agenda. Türkiye’s Covid-19 approach was presented at vari- ous meetings held around the world. • With a budget of 8 million Euros, the project was pre- pared and finalised, with TÜBTAK and the Director- ate of Health Institutes of Türkiye (TUSEB) as ben- eficiaries. IT and Network Capacity Support to Universities • The capacity needs and demands of universities transitioning to the distance education process were met immediately by TÜBİTAK ULAKBIM (Turk- ish Academic Network and Information Centre). In this context, hardware updates were performed on ULAKNET main backbone router devices in Anka- ra, Istanbul, and Izmir, allowing for a 100% capacity increase, and new 100Gbps and 10Gbps ports were installed. • Owing to the data centre located in the centre of the academic network, the processor, storage and net- work needs of universities were met, and they were given the opportunity to serve tens of thousands of students. • Open-Source Video Conferencing System was com- missioned as a new service by the ULAKCloud team to meet the increasing need for video conferencing and made available to universities and research in- stitutions. 354 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The Covid-19 Türkiye Platform Under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technol- ogy and in coordination with the TÜBİTAK MAM Genetic En- gineering and Biotechnology Institute, the first meeting for the establishment of the Covid-19 Türkiye Platform was held on January 31, and an intense mobilisation was enabled with a fo- cus on joint development and success. In order to gain connec- tivity, 17 projects aimed at developing vaccines and treatment- oriented drugs are being carried out under the umbrella of the platform, with a total of 436 researchers from 49 different insti- tutions and organisations involved. • 118 researchers from 32 universities, • 38 researchers from eight private sector organisa- tions, • 67 researchers from nine public R&D units, • 213 scholarship holders, with 167 being STAR scholar- ship holders. In order to share evidence-based information in the fight against Covid-19 in the mobilisation of the ecosystem, to in- crease social awareness, and to use the capabilities that virtual platforms offer to their fullest extent, the Covid-19 Türkiye Web Portal has been established. The number of visits to the portal is over 4.1 million, and the number of visitors is over a million. Türkiye’s portal was included in the European Covid-19 Data Portal as one of the exemplary data portals. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 355 The live broadcast of the “Virtual Conferences on Vaccine and Medicine Development” and the “Virtual Conference on Türki- ye’s Diagnostic Prowess,” which were organised in collaboration with the Covid-19 Türkiye Platform, reached 170,000 viewers. At the conferences, developments regarding medical diagnostic kits, portable laboratory, hybrid cameras, microfluidic chip meth- ods and artificial intelligence-based applications to be produced with fast, sensitive and high-affinity innovative technology for innovative vaccine candidates, treatment-oriented drug candi- dates and diagnostic systems were discussed. The live broadcast of the event, organised with the focus on Covid-19 and the general public, reached around 20 thousand viewers. In addition, the current status of SMEs adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic was analysed, and, in this context, a survey was conducted with the participation of 17,447 SMEs between March 31 and April 7, 2020, in order to determine the steps that could be taken by the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises De- velopment Organisation (KOSGEB), as a result of which, the “Cur- rent Situation Report on SMEs in the Coronavirus Pandemic Pe- riod” was prepared. The study, which was revised in line with the feedbacks, was implemented between May 5 and May 12, 2020, as a result of which, “Analysis of the Current Situation Regard- ing SMEs in the Coronavirus Pandemic Period - Survey Result Report” was prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities. Publications Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) contributed to scientific studies. All studies were shared as open-source on the official website of TÜBA for scientists and citizens to access and benefit easily during and after the global pandemic’s quarantine period. TÜBA published a number of publications in Turkish and Eng- lish in order to raise public awareness and enable scientists to do their work by referring to the appropriate sources; they were shared with and sent to international academies, umbrella or- ganisations, and reputable university libraries: 356 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • TÜBA Covid-19 Pandemic Assessment Report (This report, which has the distinction of being the first in its field, was made available online in April and was updated six times during the pandemic period before be- ing printed in its final form.) • Anatomy of the Pandemic: The Future of Humanity and the Society (The book, which contains predictions about the post- pandemic period, consists of 47 chapters. It has the dis- tinction of being one of the most comprehensive books on the subject.) • TÜBA Covid-19 Pandemic: Legal Development and Interaction Report The aforementioned works were pioneering and com- prehensive studies and were shared with academicians, public institutions and organisations, universities and li- braries. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 357 In addition to scientific studies and projects, TÜBİTAK made significant contributions in terms of publications: • Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences’ “Covid-19 Spe- cial Issue” and Turkish Journal of Biology’s “Cov- id-19 Special Issue” focused on the research related to Covid-19. These journals can be accessed via the Covid-19 Türkiye Web Portal Scientific Sources page (https://covid19.tubitak.gov.tr/bilimsel-kaynaklar). Researchers continue to use the open-access arti- cles and data sets based on various databases in the same portal extensively in the fight against Covid-19. • In order to provide free access to the magazines published by TÜBİTAK, the magazines Bilim ve Teknik (Science and Technique), Bilim Çocuk (Sci- ence for Kids) and Meraklı Minik (Curious Little One) were published online as pdf documents with- out the subscription requirement. The magazines were downloaded 10 million times. • The Covid-19 subject was covered in the March, May and September issues of the Bilim ve Teknik mag- azine, and a popular science book titled “What is Coronavirus? Coronavirus Guide for Children” was published in July for readers aged five and over. 358 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In addition to these, many guides, programmes, action plans and reports are being published on the website of the General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health. Regard- ing the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a Scientific Advisory Board Study named “Covid-19 Pandemic Management and Study Guide” dated October 1, 2020. The 455-page study covers the measures to be taken in all areas. The “Covid-19 Dictionary” is also available on the website of the Ministry of Health. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 359 During the pandemic period, a significant contribution in terms of publications was made by the Directorate of Com- munications; the Directorate published the book, “Türkiye’s Effective Fight Against Coronavirus” in Turkish and English. The book addressed a wide range of issues such as the devel- opment of health services in Türkiye, comprehensive informa- tion about the Covid-19 disease, the historical development of the pandemic period in Türkiye and the world, the measures taken and aids provided by the state in Türkiye, Türkiye’s inter- national aids, and evacuation operations. 360 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The Centre for Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Af- fairs also contributed to the academic discussions during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context, during the pandemic and the environment of uncertainty it created, an interdisciplinary compilation titled “The Post-Covid-19 Global System: Old Prob- lems New Trends” based on the preliminary analysis of repu- table academicians and experts was published in April 2020. Similarly, a study titled “The World After Covid-19: Coopera- tion or Competition?” which was composed of assessments and analyses of reputable scientists, global thinkers and ex- perts regarding the probable effects of the Covid-19 on the in- ternational system, states, people, great power competition, in- ternational organisations, security, globalisation and conflicts was published by the Centre for Strategic Studies and Antalya Diplomacy Forum in June 2020. In addition, the Presidency of Religious Affairs carried out ma- ny activities for citizens to adapt to the pandemic conditions, overcome this difficult period and strengthen them spiritually. TÜRKİYE’S EXEMPLARY FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS | 361 The Presidency also made contributions in terms of publica- tions for the citizens. In terms of printed publications, the Presidency continued to publish books, with the first editions of 64 books printed and 23 books reprinted. Citizens were given free access to 2,372,434 printed publications. The citizens in various provinces who had been quarantined due to Covid-19 received 19,870 of the works distributed free of charge. Some of the works which were printed and distributed to the citizens are as follows; • Islam’s Perspective on Pandemics • Medical and Health-Related Fatwas • Spiritual Support during the Pandemic INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 363 ÖNSÖZ | 363 Türkiye has received requests for help from 159 countries and so far delivered aids to 157 countries. From the beginning of the outbreak of the crisis, Turkish citizens have been brought home from 142 countries within the framework of the greatest evacuation operation in the history of the Republic. C H A P T E R 4 I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I D S A N D T H E G R E A T E S T E VA C U A T I O N O P E R A T I O N I N T H E H I S T O R Y O F T H E R E P U B L I C 364 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 365 T he Covid-19 pandemic has emerged as an unprece- dented global threat against all humanity. Even the most developed countries have been shaken in all ar- eas of life in the face of the pandemic, particularly the healthcare systems. In almost every country around the world, the restrictions imposed to varying extents against the pan- demic have adversely affected individuals, social life and eco- nomic activities. Türkiye believes that the struggle against this global disaster can be successful only through international cooperation and solidarity. In this context, Türkiye has highlighted the impor- tance of this matter for the international community at both multilateral and bilateral levels and made concrete contribu- tions accordingly. At the domestic level, on the other hand, the magnitude of the situation was recognised at an early stage under the resilient and resolute leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the spread of the pandemic into Türkiye was delayed as much as possible thanks to the measures taken. Following the first appearance of the pandemic within its borders, Türkiye was able to maintain its resilience against this serious disas- ter thanks to the means, resources, and opportunities provided by its healthcare system and infrastructure. Moreover, Türkiye rapidly evacuated its citizens abroad, met the needs of its citi- zens in their respective countries abroad, and provided medi- cal supplies, protective equipment and respirators for those countries that had asked for help. C H A P T E R 4 I N T E R N AT I O N A L A I D S A N D T H E G R E AT E S T E VA C U AT I O N O P E R AT I O N I N T H E H I S T O R Y O F T H E R E P U B L I C 366 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS A Coordination and Support Centre was established on March 25, 2020, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for monitoring and evaluation of all developments related to the Covid-19 pan- demic and ensuring the necessary coordination with interna- tional institutions, foreign representations, and other countries for a more effective response and direction in matters related to foreign affairs, particularly delivering aid to citizens abroad. The Centre, which identified helping Turkish citizens abroad facing pressing humanitarian, social and economic challeng- es caused by the pandemic as its top priority, functioned, first and foremost, as the focal point of coordination across Türki- ye and within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the process of evacuating the Turkish citizens and bringing them home, who had been abroad with temporary status for touristic, business and visit-related purposes and had to stay there upon closure of borders. All problems faced by the Turkish citizens abroad, such as health problems, funeral procedures and economic problems, were addressed and dealt with by foreign representations un- der the coordination of the Centre. Türkiye’s foreign missions provided food and cash support for those in need in coopera- tion with NGOs. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 367 Turkish Embassies and Consulates General worked on a 24-hour basis under the direction of the Centre, identified ev- ery Turkish citizen locked in abroad and in need of help, and dealt with each individually. Foreign representation staff en- sured the Turkish citizens were safely transported from their homes and hotels and boarded on their planes. As of March 1, 2021, 2,886 Turkish citizens lost their lives abroad, and the funerals of 2,605 citizens have been brought to Türkiye. Currently, the statuses of Turkish citizens abroad di- agnosed with Covid-19 and in need of treatment are monitored, and necessary care is provided by the Turkish Foreign Repre- sentations for those hospitalised citizens. 368 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The Consular Call Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working on a 24/7 basis, provides information and direction for our citizens who request information and have questions related to consular services. As of February 23, 2021, over 163 thousand calls have been answered by the Consular Call Cen- tre. The Centre made sure that no call remained unanswered. Similarly, the social media accounts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are frequently used for communication by citizens, and each received message is replied to. The Coordination and Support Centre, in consultation with the Ministry of Health and all other institutions, manages medical supplies aids delivered to other countries and international in- stitutions as well. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 369 Borders closed between two countries were ensured to be opened for some Turkish citizens to board a plane in a third country, and their transfer to airports was ensured via official vehicles with diplomatic licence plates. Other times, a vital medication or drug need- ed by Turkish citizens was delivered to them, and the vehicles with diplomatic licence plates were used to bring Turkish citizens to the Turkish Embassy’s facili- ties and offered accommodation until departure time. 370 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 371 4.1. International Aids Foreign aids provided within the scope of the fight against the pandemic have been a reflection of Türkiye’s humanitarian and enterprising foreign policy. Within this framework, requests from all across the globe for assistance have been tried to be met within the realms of possibility. Throughout this process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked closely with the Ministry of Health and other institutions to receive, evaluate, direct, and procure requests from foreign countries. To date, 159 countries have requested various types of aids (equipment donation, financial aid, and sale/export permit). So far, 157 countries have benefited from the aids. Of the 157 countries that have received aids, 129 have received grants, 75 have received purchasing and export permits, and 50 have received financial aids (It’s possible that the same country has received aids -equipment grant/financial aid/ export per- mit/ purchasing permit- in different categories). With 49 coun- tries, Africa is the leading continent that has sent Türkiye the highest number of aid requests. This is respectively followed by Europe (41 countries), Asia (33 countries), America (21 coun- tries) and Oceania (15 countries). 372 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 157 Countries Türkiye Has Provided Assistance to 1 USA 2 Afghanistan 3 Germany 4 Andorra 5 Angola 6 Argentina 7 Albania 8 Austria 9 Australia 10 Azerbaijan 11 United Arab Emirates 12 Bahrain 13 Bangladesh 14 Belarus 15 Belgium 16 Benin 17 Bolivia 18 Bosnia Herzegovina 19 Botswana 20 Brazil 21 Bulgaria 22 Burkina Faso 23 Algeria 24 Djibouti 25 Cook Island 26 Chad 27 Czechia 28 People's Republic of China 29 Denmark 30 Dominican Republic 31 Ecuador 32 Equatorial Guinea 33 El Salvador 34 Indonesia 35 Eritrea 36 Estonia 37 Ethiopia 38 Eswatini 39 Fiji 40 Ivory Coast 41 Philippines 42 Palestine 43 Finland 44 France 45 Gabon 46 The Gambia 47 Guinea 48 Guinea-Bissau 49 Guiana 50 Republic of South Africa 51 South Sudan 52 Guatemala 53 Georgia 54 Haiti Europe: 43 America: 22 Oceania: 15 Africa: 44 Asia: 33 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 373 55 Croatia 56 Netherlands 57 Honduras 58 Iraq 59 United Kingdom 60 Iran 61 Ireland 62 Spain 63 Sweden 64 Switzerland 65 Israel 66 Italia 67 Cambodia 68 Cameroon 69 Canada 70 Montenegro 71 Qatar 72 Kazakhstan 73 Kenya 74 Kyrgyzstan 75 Kiribati 76 TRNC 77 Colombia 78 Congo 79 Kosovo 80 Costa Rica 81 Kuwait 82 North Macedonia 83 Cuba 84 Lesotho 85 Liberia 86 Libya 87 Lithuania 88 Lebanon 89 Hungary 90 Madagascar 91 Malasia 92 Mali 93 Malta 94 Marshall Island 95 Mexico 96 Micronesia 97 Mongolia 98 Moldova 99 Principality of Monaco 100 Mauritania 101 Mauritius 102 Mozambique 103 Myanmar 104 Namibia 105 Nauru 106 Niger 107 Nigeria 108 Nicaragua 109 Niue 110 Norway 111 Uzbekistan 112 Pakistan 113 Palau 114 Panama 115 Papua New Guinea 116 Paraguay 117 Peru 118 Poland 119 Portugal 120 Romania 121 Rwanda 122 Russia 123 Samoa 124 San Marino 374 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 125 São Tomé and Príncipe 126 Senegal 127 Serbia 128 Sierra Leone 129 Singapore 130 Slovakia 131 Slovenia 132 Solomon Islands 133 Somali 134 Sri Lanka 135 Sudan 136 Syria 137 Saudi Arabia 138 Chile 139 Tajikistan 140 Tanzania 141 Thailand 142 Togo 143 Tonga 144 Tunisia 145 Tuvalu 146 Turkmenistan 147 Uganda 148 Ukraine 149 Oman 150 Jordan 151 Vanuatu 152 Vatican 153 Venezuela 154 Vietnam 155 Yemen 156 Zambia 157 Zimbabwe Of the 157 countries that have had their requests fulfilled, 129 have received grants, while 75 have received buying and export permits. In addition, 50 countries have received financial aids. The following are some of the specifics of some of Türkiye’s aids. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 375 Under the instructions of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye donated 1,502,500 masks, 500 face protectors, 1,000 protective safety goggles, 1,500 N95s, 125,050 overalls, 4 tons of disinfectant, 2,000 litres of disinfectant, 4,200 protective safe- ty goggles to the USA in two batches on April 22, 2020, and May 1, 2020. Furthermore, 15,000 surgical masks were sent to the Turkish Consulate General in New York for the use of the Turkish citi- zens on May 8, 2020, and in response to a request from the citi- zens in Maryland, 30,000 surgical masks were delivered to the Turkish Embassy in Washington on May 11, 2020. USA 376 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Within the scope of the Grant Agreement concluded between Türkiye and Germany, 5 million masks were provided. In ad- dition, 40 thousand masks were granted to the Hannover Mu- nicipality on May 2, 2020. In accordance with the Grant Agreement signed between Azer- baijan and Türkiye, 30 ventilators, 35,000 protective coveralls, 50,000 N95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 5000 Protective goggles, 200,000 gloves, two PCR instruments, 20,000 Hy- droxychloroquine and 20,000 Tamiflu were granted. GERMANY AZERBAIJAN INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 377 During the month of Ramadan in 2020, 44 tons of food aid were distributed to approximately 2,500 families in over 30 settle- ments. On December 17, 2020, seven trucks carrying food, household goods, sheltering materials, personal protective equipment, win- ter clothes, hygiene materials, medicine, wheelchairs, toys, and various medical consumables granted by the Red Crescent left for Azerbaijan. In addition, private sector organisations in Türkiye donated 10 tons of concentrated disinfectant. The “REACT-C19 Project” (Rapid Scale-up of Essential Capaci- ties in Hospitals for Covid-19) was initiated by WHO in coopera- tion with Azerbaijani authorities to improve healthcare profes- sionals’ capacity in pilot hospitals determined in Azerbaijan to combat Covid-19. Türkiye supported Azerbaijan by providing Azerbaijani medical personnel with training. In this context, with the Azerbaijani Doctors Association’s announcement, 19 doctors were selected and trained at Ege University, and they completed their training on April 14 and began service in Azer- baijan. 378 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Experts in the field of Covid-19 infection from Türkiye were in- vited to Azerbaijan. In this context, four members of our Sci- entific Board conducted interviews and investigations in the country on July 8, 2020, with the health committee of the Azer- baijan Crisis Desk. On April 24, 2020, Türkiye granted 3,000 food parcels to Ban- gladesh to be distributed to those in need. In May 2020, 70 tons of food aid was sent to Arakan Muslims, and 5,000 hygiene packages were distributed. In addition, Ramadan packages were sent to 1,000 families in need in the rural area of Chakaria in 2020. BANGLADESH INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 379 On June 7, 2020, the support package consisting of 5,000 sur- gical masks, 1,000 N95 masks, 1,000 medical coveralls and two ventilators was delivered at the Bangladesh State Guest House with a ceremony attended by the Deputy Secretary-General of the Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs Khalil Rahman. Medical materials supplied to be donated to the hospitals “Chit- tagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH)” and “Chittagong General Hospital (CGH)” were delivered to local authorities with a ceremony held on July 6, 2020, and on August 6, 2020, Eid clothes, school bags and medical masks were provided to 200 homeless children. On September 11, 2020, 8,000 hygiene kits and cleaning materi- als and 4,000 masks were provided. Under the Grant Agreement signed on October 12, 2020, 20 ventilators (with foot set and accessory set), 10,000 N95 masks, 10,000 gowns, 10,000 coveralls, 2,000 face shields and 5,000 protective goggles were delivered to Bangladesh on October 16, 2020. The official delivery ceremony of the said materials was held at Padma State Guest House on October 28, 2020, with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen. In line with the Dhaka Police Department’s request, 25,000 surgical masks were delivered to the Dhaka Police Chief on October 28, 2020, within the scope of the fight against the pandemic. 380 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Under the Grant Agreement with the United Kingdom, 50,000 N95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks and 100,000 protective coveralls were provided. Within the scope of the grants, 58,000 masks, 28,000 face shields, 85,270 coveralls, 48,000 3-ply surgical masks, 30,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 4,400 EN149 masks, 400 protective coveralls, 500 protective goggles were delivered. The first part of the aforementioned medical equipment aid was brought to RAF Brize Norton airbase on April 10, 2020, by aircraft belong- ing to our Air Force and de- livered to the British author- ities. The second batch was delivered by a THY plane on April 12, 2020. In addition, on May 5, 2020, for the use of our citizens in the country, 20,000 surgical masks and 1,000 coveralls were sent to the London Embassy of Tür- kiye. UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 381 Within the framework of the Grant Agreement, approximate- ly five tons of hygiene materials, 12 tons of food, 30,000 surgi- cal masks were provided to Algeria on separate days to support 1,000 families. In order to coordinate with 48 provinces in the fight against Covid-19, a teleconference and interactive educa- tion unit was established. On July 22, 2020, within the scope of the grants, 25 ventilators (with foot set and accessory set), two PCR devices, 30,000 PCR test kits, 50,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, 25,000 coveralls and 30,000 viral nucleic acid isolation kits were sent to Algeria by an evacuation aircraft. ALGERIA 382 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In accordance with the Grant Agreement signed between Tür- kiye and Chad, 25 ventilators, PCR test kits, 86,350 coveralls, 100,000 surgical masks, 30,000 N95 masks, 5,000 goggles, 87, 600 gloves, 50,000 shoe covers, three ambulances and ten in- flatable field emergency units were dispatched by military car- go planes on May 26 and June 18, 2020. On June 25, 2020, in order to support Chad’s fight against the pandemic, 40 pedal-operated handwashing systems and 2,000 hand soap were delivered to 15 schools in the capital. In addition, 100 mechanical pedal-operated handwashing sys- tems and liquid soap support were distributed to health cen- tres in N’Djamina’s ten districts. CHAD INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 383 On February 1, 2020, two aid cargoes containing 2,000 N95 masks, 2,000 protective clothing, 2,000 goggles, disinfectants, gloves, and shoe covers were delivered to China. 2,000 oxygen masks, 20,000 nasal cannulas, two tons of hand sanitiser and 20,000 face shields were airlifted to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport to be delivered to Ramallah and Gaza on April CHINA PALESTINE 384 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 30, 2020. The grant in question was cleared from customs by the Palestinian Ministry of Health on May 5, 2020, and trans- ported to Ramallah. The Palestinian Ministry of Health received six tons of hygiene materials and personal protective equipment, and food aid was distributed to 5,060 families in Gaza and 7,500 families in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Furthermore, on July 14, 2020, 50,000 medical masks, 2,500 N95 surgical masks, and 2,500 disinfectant aid materials were delivered to Augusta Victoria (Al-Muttali) Hospital in East Jerusalem. On August 19, 2020, the Ramallah part of the distribution of 50 battery-powered wheelchairs to Palestinians with special needs, with five in each West Bank province, was finalised. In accordance with the Grant Agreement signed on September 14, 2020, 20 intensive care ventilators, 20 bedside monitors, 40 syringe pumps, 20 infusion pumps, 20 defibrillator moni- tors, 20 electrocardiographs, 20 laryngoscope sets, 20 diagnos- tic sets (Oph + o-to), 20 Ambo bag sets, 20 temperature moni- tors, 20 heating-cooling beds, 20 flowmeter oxygen connectors (DIN), 20 stethoscopes, 20 ultrasonic nebulisers and two laun- dry carts were delivered at a ceremony held on December 1, 2020. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 385 On April 1, 2020, Türkiye delivered 250,000 masks, 250 N95 masks, 750 eye protection masks, 2,000 coveralls, and 1000 li- tres of disinfectant to Spain. On April 1, 2020, Türkiye responded to Italy’s call for assistance through the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordina- tion Centre (EADRCC) by delivering 200,000 masks, 250 N95 masks, 750 eye protection masks, 2,000 coveralls, and 1000 li- tres of anti-bacterial disinfectant. The Turkish Red Crescent delivered 100,000 3-ply surgical masks, 100,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 20,000 N149 masks, 1,500 protective coveralls, and 1,500 protective goggles to Italy at the request of the Italian Red Cross. SPAIN ITALY 386 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS On April 8, 2020, 50,000 masks, 1,000 coveralls, and 1,000 di- agnostic kits were delivered to Montenegro at the request of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Türkiye delivered 35 tons of food and hygiene material support to the most economically vulnerable 5,000 people as part of the Food and Hygiene Support Programme. MONTENEGRO INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 387 In September 2020, The Turkish Red Crescent dispatched 30,000 3-layer surgical masks, 30,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 3,000 N149 masks, 300 protective overalls, 300 protec- tive goggles, 500 food parcels, five tents, 30,740 hygiene kits and cleaning supplies to the TRNC. Moreover, under the Grant Agreement signed on March 11, 2020, 20,000 medical masks, 100 personal protective gears, 3,000 N95 or similar masks, 100 protective goggles and various vaccines and medications were granted. Under the Grant Agreement of March 13, 2020, five ambulanc- es, ten ventilators, 20,000 SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCov) RT-qPCR detection kits, 20,000 viral nucleic acid isolation kits, 100,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 mask, 20,000 overalls, two PCR machines (with cabinet), 2,000 glass bottles (1000 ml) of ster- ile distilled water, 6,500 Metronidazole 5 mg/ml 100 ml solu- tion for infusion (with sets), 2,000 Dextrose 3.33% + Sodium Chloride 0.3% 500 ml solution in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets), 6,000 Sodium Chloride 0.9% 1000 ml solution in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets), 4,500 Sodium Chloride 0.9% 100 ml solution in PE/PP/ PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets), 400 Sodium THE TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS (TRNC) 388 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Chloride 0.9% 150 ml solution in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets), 400 Sodium Chloride 0.9% 250 ml so- lution in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets), 600 lactated Ringer’s solution 1000 ml in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets), 600 lactated Ringer’s solution 500 ml in PE/PP/PVC infusion bottles infusion bags (with sets) were delivered on July 20, 2020. Türkiye provided food aid to families in need in the TRNC as part of the fight against the novel coronavirus and the month of Ramadan activities. On May 20, 2020, 25 tons of foodstuff, including essential foodstuffs and items such as milk, dates, tea, coffee, and domestic products of Cyprus, were delivered to 1,000 families in need in Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagusta, Mor- phou and Lefke. Furthermore, Türkiye sent hygiene equipment to the TRNC Disabled Solidarity Association in May 2020. The interior equipment of the Emergency Hospital, built-in Nicosia by Türkiye, was delivered to the TRNC on October 7, 2020. The hospital in question was inaugurated by our Presi- dent Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, paying a visit to the TRNC on the occasion of the 37th foundation anniversary of the TRNC on November 15, 2020, and the President Ersin Tatar of the TRNC. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 389 LIBYA Within the scope of the fight against Covid-19, medical equip- ment consisting of 150,000 masks, 60 protective facemasks (panoramic), 300 protective eye masks, 600 overalls and 400 litres of disinfectant were dispatched to Libya. On May 14, 2020, the second batch of aid, containing 200,000 masks, 70 face shields, 300 piec- es of eye protector, 120 N95 masks, 600 over- alls, 400 litres of disin- fectant was delivered to the officials of the Ministry of Health of Libya’s Government of National Accord. On August 6, 2020, 3 ventilators were grant- ed. 390 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Under the Grant Agreement, ten ventilators, 30,000 N95 masks, 60,000 3-layer masks and 20,000 protective overalls were de- livered to Namibia with a ceremony on June 25, 2020. Türkiye provided food aid to families of 33 people with a dis- ability trying to survive in a difficult situation and distribut- ed 500 food parcels consisting of rice, oil, tea, sugar, salt, flour, soup etc. to approximately 3,000 people living in four regions, namely, the capital Windhoek, Oshakati, Keetmanshoop and Osire Refugee Camp. On May 29, 2020, 200 disinfectant pumps and 40 infrared ther- mometers were donated to the Ministry of Health and Social Services of Namibia. Moreover, on December 21, 2020, an equipment aid contain- ing digital electrocardiography (ECG) machines, defibrillator monitors, portable ultrasound devices, infusion pumps, multi- monitors, portable ventilators, video laryngoscopes, aspira- tors, emergency trolleys, examination tables, was provided to the Clinical Emergency Medical Care Training Laboratory of Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). NAMIBIA INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 391 The aircraft carrying 20,000 N95 masks, 50,000 overalls and 100,000 medical masks provided by Türkiye arrived in Islam- abad on April 22, 2020. The second batch of aid to Pakistan, consisting of 108,000 sur- gical masks and 31,500 pieces of protective equipment, was de- livered to Karachi by a Turkish Airlines cargo aircraft on April 28, 2020. Throughout the month of Ramadan of 2020, 4,000 parcels and 70 tons of food aid were delivered to 22,500 people. On September 11, 2020, ten oxygen pressure regulators, 100 ox- ygen masks, 50 oxygen cylinders and 50 medical oxygen flow- meters were granted. 300,000 N95 masks were delivered to Islamabad on September 30, 2020, by a Turkish Airlines cargo aircraft and handed over to the authorities on the same day. PAKISTAN 392 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS 500 test kits, 100,000 masks, 2,000 overalls and 1,500 diagnos- tic kits provided by Türkiye were dispatched to Serbia on April 8, 2020. In April 2020, domestically manufactured soap and disinfec- tant products were distributed in Sandzak, and aid parcels con- taining a total of 15 tons of essential foodstuffs were distributed to 1,000 families formed of people in need and disadvantaged groups such as Romans and refugees, in Serbia on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. In the meantime, 3 tons of foodstuffs were delivered to Karnyacha Refugee Camp near Belgrade. Upon the instructions of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, ten bedside monitors, 20 pulse oximeters (finger), ten UV ster- ilisation lamps, 50 oxygen regulators, ten perfusion pumps, one video laryngoscope, three laryngoscopes, ten silicone am- bu, three surgical aspirators, 400 hospital bedding sheets, 30 hospital beds, 20,000 FFP2 protective masks, 2,000 protec- tive overalls, 1,500 face shields, 30,000 masks, 100 parcels of 12-piece 350 ml hand soap, 110 parcels of 60-piece 150 ml hand disinfectant and 120 parcels of 12-piece wet wipes were dis- patched to Sandzak region on June 12, 2020. SERBIA INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 393 Under the Grant Agreement, three high-flow oxygen machines, five bedside monitors, 30 central oxygen flowmeters, five piec- es of 12-channel ECG machine, 20 infusion pumps, two defi- brillators, 10,000 diagnostic kits, two PCR machines, five venti- lators, one surgical intervention kit, one mobile X-ray machine, 30,000 N95 masks, 2,675 N149 masks, 5,000 protective over- alls, 230,000 surgical masks, 10,000 packets of hydroxychloro- quine, 10,000 packets of Tamiflu, 10,000 litres of disinfectant, 10 UV devices, 2,000 face shields and 40,000 powder-free vinyl gloves were sent to Sandzak region on July 4, 2020, to be used in the Novi Pazar General Hospital. Türkiye granted a total of 200,000 masks in two batches sent on August 9 and 13, 2020, to the Ministry of Interior of Serbia. Furthermore, 130,000 3-layer surgical masks, 496 pieces of dis- infectant (1 lt), 2,675 EN149 masks, 1,000 protective goggles, 420 protective overalls, 40,000 powder-free vinyl gloves and five ventilators were granted to Serbia on September 11, 2020. 394 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS On April 17, 2020, medical equipment consisting of 50,000 3-lay- ered surgical masks, 50,000 powder-free vinyl gloves, 1,000 N149 masks, 1,000 protective overalls, 576 protective goggles, 60 Hepatitis-B vaccines, 800 Muscobloc vials, 100 Benzoxin vi- als, 500 Hamazine pomades, 20 Survanta vials, 4,000 Glargine injections, 15 Rhopylac vials, 2,100 Droptein injections, 6,000 Synpitan ampules, 18,000 FFP2 masks, 250 protective over- alls, 500 protective goggles, 100,000 surgical masks, 400 boxes of Covid-19 rapid test kit, 50 packets of Favipiravir tablet, 250 packets of Plaquenil tablet and 1,000 packets of Tamiflu cap- sule was dispatched to Somalia. Per our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s instructions, 20,000 diagnostic kits, 40,000 surgical masks, 10,000 N95 masks, 20,000 protective overalls, ten ventilators and their accessories arrived in Mogadishu by military cargo aircraft on May 2, 2020. 100 intensive care beds were also delivered to the Ministry of Health of Somalia on May 4, 2020. On the same dates, 340,000 masks, 500 face shields, 500 eye protectors, 10,050 overalls, 32,500 litres of disinfectant and 500 diagnostic kits were grant- ed to Somalia. SOMALIA INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 395 Food aid was granted to 500 families who left their houses in Mogadishu and had to live in the camps of the Garas Balley re- gion; within this framework, food packages consisting of rice, flour, pasta, sugar and oil were handed out to the families in the camp during the month of Ramadan. Within the context of aids granted to 8 IGAD member countries, Türkiye donated 10,000 surgical masks, 2,000 gowns, 1,020 overalls to Somalia. An X-ray unit was donated to Galgaduud State Hospital, the biggest state hospital of the state located in Dusamareb, on September 30, 2020. In addition, on December 23, 2020, equipment support consisted of a CBS Machine, bio- chemistry device, Elisa device, mixer, microscope, ball bearing and centrifuge devices was granted to Wajid Hospital, located in the Southwestern Federal Region of Somalia. 1,014 infrared thermometers were delivered to Somalia on October 25, 2020. 396 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In accordance with the Grant Agreement, 50 ventilators, 100,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, 50,000 overalls were sent to Sudan on August 22, 2020. In the centre established by Türkiye, protective face shields, masks are produced. On the occasion of the month of Rama- dan of 2020, 34 tons of food aid was granted to 2,000 families in Shagarab camp, located in Kassala State, where Eritrean ref- ugees live. Medical equipment aid such as protective and sur- gical masks, thermometers, gloves, disinfectant, and oxygen tubes was granted for the healthcare staff in the East Darfur region in July 2020. In August 2020, 50 needlecraft machines, spice mills, ovens and leatherwork machines were provided to 50 women with low in- comes in the Mandela region in order to ensure that they could support themselves. Materials such as oximeters, thermome- ters, protective face masks with shield, face masks, gloves, dis- infectant, surgical gowns, pump for disinfection were delivered to the Khartoum office of Nyala Sudan-Türkiye Training and Research Hospital. SUDAN INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 397 Medical device, medication, consumables listed below and pro- vided by Turkish Red Crescent in coordination with Qatar Red Crescent to establish a pandemic centre were dispatched to Su- dan by cargo planes on September 5-7, 2020. • 2 PCR machines • 3 PCR security cabinets • 5,000 oxygen masks with reservoir • Ten blood and serum heaters • 100 pulse oximeters • 20 glucometers • 10,000 glucometer probes and lancets • 20 tonometers • 30 stethoscopes • 6,967 malaria rapid test kits • 40,000 Covid - 19 rtper tests • 20,000 bioneer ExiPrepTM 48 viral DNA/RNA kits • 20,000 nasopharyngeal swabs • 1,000,000 face masks • 15,000 surgical gloves • 10,000 N95 or FFP2 masks • 75,000 protective gowns • 5,000 face shields • 5,000 galoshes • 30,000 coifs 398 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS • Ten manual spray machines • 3,000 sterile gauzes (10 pcs./pack) • 497 IV cannula 18 • 15 laryngoscopes • 750 nasogastric catheters • 300 Foley catheters • 2,000 endotracheal tubes with closed aspiration system • 50,000 amlodipine 10 mg • 30,000 propranolol bel 40 mg • 60,000 acetylsalicylic acids 81 mg • 100,000 metformin 500 mg • 60,000 metformin 850 mg • 6,000 glimepiride 2 mg • 15,000 multivitamins • 80,000 ibuprofen 400 mg • 3,000 diclofenac 75 mg 10,000 gloves, 2,500 goggles, 52,500 masks and 2,500 overalls were donated on September 11, 2020. Within the scope of aids granted to 8 IGAD member countries, Türkiye donated 10,000 surgical masks, 2,000 gowns and 1,020 overalls to Sudan. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 399 Within the context of the Grant Agreement with Turkmeni- stan, 20 ventilator screens and units, 20 ventilator foot sets, 20 ventilator accessory sets, 50,000 N95 masks, 100,000 surgical masks, 100,000 overalls and 10,000 tablets of hydroxychloro- quine were sent in July 2020. 3,500 surgical masks and 100 surgical gowns were dispatched to deliver to Odessa Maternity Hospital in April 2020. 150,000 masks, 100 face shields, 200 eye protectors, 50 N95 masks, 500 overalls and 300 litres of disinfectant were brought to Ukraine on May 8, 2020. Within the context of the Ukraine Food and Hygiene Support Pro- gramme, the support consisting of food products and person- al protection materi- als used in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic was brought to 600 families in Kyiv, Kherson, Odessa regions in June 2020. TURKMENISTAN UKRAINE 400 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Türkiye granted 400 parcels of food aid to Venezuela in May 2020. In accordance with the Grant Agreement, 25 ventilators, 100,000 surgical masks, 50,000 N95 masks, 35,000 overalls, 200,000 gloves, 40,000 PCR test kits, three incubators, three phototherapy devices, one bilirubin meter, three tonometers, three stethoscopes, three ear thermometers, one laryngoscope (child), one laryngoscope (adult), three monitors, 2 ECG ma- chines, nine infusion pumps, two mesher devices, two skin der- matomes, one defibrillator device, six hospital beds, one baby weighing machine were brought to Venezuela by military plane on July 17, 2020, and delivered to the authorities with a ceremo- ny that was broadcast live on TV with the participation of Min- ister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela Jorge Arreaza, Minister of Health of Venezuela Carlos Alvarado and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yves Gil. VENEZUELA INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 401 Medical materials consisting of nearly 5,000 viral transport medium sets, 10,000 rapid diagnostic tests and 3,000 PCR tests were handed to Gerardo Briceño, Venezuela Deputy Minister of Health, with a ceremony on August 20, 2020. The neonatal intensive care unit of Ana Teresa de Jesus Ponce Women and Children Hospital located in the La Guaria State of Venezuela was renewed by Türkiye and made ready for use with medical equipment and devices provided from Türkiye. Türkiye renewed the Burn Unit of Dr. Jesus Yerena Hospital, located in the Pastora state of Venezuela, and donated support consisting of various materials such as plastic surgery and op- eration equipment. 402 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In addition to countries, International organisations (20 inter- national organisations/affiliated agencies) have requested medi- cal device aid from Türkiye. The requests of 12 of them (OCHA, UNICEF, PAF, SICA, CARICOM, NATO, IGAD, WHO, OSCE, IFRC, UNWRA, African Union-Africa CDC) have been partially or fully fulfilled by Türkiye. The aids consist of mostly medical devices and especially person- al protective materials. Apart from that, ventilators produced by Türkiye are donated to the countries in need. Food aid is granted to the countries and regions that have food safety issues in pandemic conditions. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 403 Türkiye conducts special aid programme for disadvantaged groups such as the elderly, the disabled and orphans in the fight against Covid-19. Aids formed of various items have been provid- ed to displaced persons, refugees and immigrants in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen; street children in Bangladesh; disabled and orphans in Guinea; children in orphanages in South Sudan; the visually impaired children in Kazakhstan; orphans in Kenya; disabled people in TRNC; disabled people and orphans in Romania; child welfare dormitories, nursing homes for the elderly and the disabled in Mongolia; 15 social aid centres including nursing homes, or- phanages, institutions for the care of orphans, shelters for home- less people in Moldova; orphanages and elderly care centres in Mozambique; disabled children and their families in Namibia; women’s shelters and other disadvantaged groups in Yemen. In some developing countries, training programme are organ- ised for the production of personal protective equipment by us- ing local sources. In addition, raw materials are provided to sup- port the production of personal protective equipment through local means. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has developed training programme for the production of personal protective equipment/hygiene products through local means and provided materials for local production in Afghani- stan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kingdom of Eswatini, Gambia, Georgia, South Sudan, Cameroon, Colombia, Moldova, Mozam- bique, Serbia, Sudan, Syria, and Tajikistan. Türkiye endeavours to provide budget support to some of the friendly countries experiencing economic difficulties because of the pandemic. The business world also supports the friendly countries of Tür- kiye in their fight against Covid-19. Over 50 Turkish companies have supported more than 30 friendly countries in the fight against the pandemic in various ways. With its contributions to international solidarity during the pandemic, Türkiye has proved once again to the whole world that it is a reliable partner. 404 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Support Activities Conducted During the Pandemic TİKA, which has been working on a global scale since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic started, has carried out nearly 200 projects and activities in more than 70 countries in different geographies from the Balkans to Central Asia, from Latin America to Africa. In this context, the production of masks, shields and disinfectants were supported in order to overcome the problems in supply in the first half of 2020. In the following period, it was aimed to build capacity without being affected by travel restrictions with online training in order to close the deficiency in human resources. Within the scope of the activities aimed at increas- ing the equipment capacity, medical tools and equipment such as ventilators, defibrillators, thermal cameras, ambulances were supplied and delivered to countries that requested cooperation, and shield production was supported with 3D modelling classes and 3D printer grants. In addition, distributions of food and hy- giene products continue to reach people affected by restrictions and unemployment. 2,200,000 people directly benefited from the activities carried out by TİKA within the scope of Covid-19. Healthcare facilities built by TİKA, such as the Palestine-Türki- ye Friendship Hospital, Romania Medgidia Hospital’s Polyclinic Division, Somalia Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research Hospital, Nyala Sudan-Turkish Training and Research Hospital, have become essential centres in the fight against the pandemic in the countries during the pandemic. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 405 Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) has carried out awareness campaigns against the Covid-19 pan- demic and aids for those in need due to the pandemic; activities in the production of masks, fluid repellent gowns, protective face shields, disinfectants, etc. and health and hygiene products, which are difficult to supply, without profit-making purpose and volunteer activities for the production of these; educational, en- tertaining and uplifting media content in order to redeem the time spent at home; nutrition and accommodation support for citizens such as students, tourists, truck drivers and other who cannot return to Türkiye because of the pandemic and whose residence address is Türkiye; supportive activities for health- care staff in the country; activities to boost general mood in the country; graphic, design, vocalisation and assembly support for the campaigns to be carried out against the pandemic; new ideas and projects regarding the fight against the pandemic. YTB has developed a financial support Programme under Di- aspora Covid-19 Support and Cooperation Programme and an- nounced it to Turkish NGOs abroad. Within the scope of the Programme, 74 projects were carried out in 14 countries (Germany, the USA, France, the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Australia, Finland, TRNC, Sweden) and more than 200 thousand people were reached. 406 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS During this period, 10,823 people were provided with food/ hygiene parcels, 109,350 people were provided with masks, 21,300 people were provided with surgical gowns and gloves, and 9,107 people were provided with gift parcels, and 32,150 people were provided with iftaar meals. In addition, more than 1,200 international students in need, who came to Türkiye for higher education and study in 59 different provinces, were provided with aids within the framework of “the Solidarity Project with International Students in the Fight against Covid-19” implemented to support international stu- dents who cannot return to their country because of the pan- demic, are under quarantine and study with their own means in Türkiye, with financial, food and hygiene products aids. Germany/02.06.2020 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 407 International Cooperation Efforts Türkiye has emphasised the importance of international coop- eration and solidarity since the beginning of the pandemic, a global challenge affecting all humanity, and has concentrated its efforts and initiatives in this area. In multilateral forums and at the bilateral level, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been a leader whose opinions were sought by other countries’ heads of state and government. Our President has attached great importance to contacts and meetings at the level of lead- ers in the context of multilateral and bilateral cooperation and consultation in the fight against the pandemic. Türkiye has pioneered, fully supported, and actively contribut- ed to the cooperation initiatives created and launched to fight against Covid-19. In this framework, contributions have been made to the efforts carried out at the UN, the G20, the Turkic Council, the MIKTA, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and many international platforms, and the importance of mul- tilateralism in fighting against the pandemic has been high- lighted. Türkiye was among the countries that presented the draft reso- lution on “international cooperation to ensure global access to medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to face Covid-19” at the United Nations General Assembly. 408 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS On March 26, 2020, the extraordinary G20 Leaders’ Summit on Covid-19 was held via videoconferencing. Focusing on health, economy, international trade and cooperation, the G20 lead- ers addressed steps that can be taken under the leadership of the G20 to combat the global, social and economic impacts of the virus and adopted a declaration that focuses on financial measures that can be taken in cooperation with the IMF, World Bank and multilateral development banks and the steps that can be taken by coordinating with international organisations such as the UN, the OECD, the ILO and the WHO. Some of the G20 leaders, notably our esteemed President, drew attention to the situation in countries that are particularly vulnerable due to conflicts and the risks faced by refugees and forcibly dis- placed persons in unfavourable conditions, and they called for the removal of barriers obstructing free trade and for ensuring the functioning of international trade under the WTO rules. At the Extraordinary Summit of the Turkic Council Leaders held on April 10, 2020, with the participation of our President, the creation of a joint action plan in the context of the joint fight against Covid-19 was discussed, and views were exchanged on removing the existing obstacles for the timely passage of es- sential substances, food and medicine across the borders of the Turkic Council member countries, compiling a list of goods that cross the borders of the aforementioned countries without obstacles, establishing a mechanism that will enable sharing information quickly on freight transport at the borders and es- tablishing an online platform where information about infect- ed people can be shared. At the initiative of our country, the Executive Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation convened via videocon- ferencing on April 22, 2020, at the level of Foreign Ministers to address the pandemic. At the suggestion of Türkiye, the Final Declaration included the decision for the Committee of Perma- nent Representatives to convene regularly for coordination and consultation at the intergovernmental level, as the magnitude and severity of the pandemic necessitated frequent, systematic and regular contact and consultation at the intergovernmental level. INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 409 4.2. Evacuations Evacuations of Turkish Citizens Abroad to Türkiye Upon our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s instructions, the largest evacuation operation in the history of the Republic of Türkiye has been carried out to bring Turkish citizens stranded abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic to our country. A com- plex and months-long evacuation operation around the world was successfully carried out with the cooperation of the Min- istries of Foreign Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Inte- rior, Youth and Sports, Health, and the Credit and Hostels In- stitution, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, Turkish Red Crescent and Turkish Airlines. Since the beginning of the crisis, Turkish citizens from 142 countries have been brought back home. This has been record- ed as the largest-scale evacuation operation in the history of the Republic of Türkiye. Among the countries where the evacu- ation was carried out are small islands in hard-to-reach areas on very remote continents. Considering that there are also in- tercity travel bans in many countries, the complexity of the op- eration can be better understood. From Brazil to Mauritania, Canada and Bali, Turkish citizens in 4 continents have been brought back to their homeland. 410 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Evacuation and Medical Check-up of Umrah Passengers 15,779 passengers going to the holy lands for Umrah pilgrimage on March 9, 2020, were brought to Türkiye seamlessly in cooperation with the Turkish Airlines and medical check-ups of the passengers were conducted before they left the plane. By placing the medical teams in all planes, suspected cases were identified and isolated before landing at airports in Türkiye. In addition, medical check-ups in the air minimised transmission by preventing queues at airports. A total of 19,216,934 people were checked in the medical check-ups starting on February 22 in Türkiye’s border gates (airline, highway, seaway). INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 411 CITIZENS RETURNING TO TÜRKİYE (Last Update: February 26, 2021) NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 1 USA March 29, 2020 1 411 April 23, 2020 1 282 April 24, 2020 1 353 April 24, 2020 1 354 May 6, 2020 1 May 15, 2020 1 354 May 16, 2020 1 297 May 17, 2020 1 294 May 17, 2020 1 303 June 4, 2020 1 295 June 11, 2020 1 348 June 18, 2020 1 353 June 25, 2020 1 199 3844 2 Afghanistan March 31, 2020 1 22 April 3, 2020 1 9 April 16, 2020 1 2 April 22, 2020 1 29 April 28, 2020 1 19 May 7, 2020 1 12 May 13, 2020 1 15 May 21, 2020 1 7 May 22, 2020 1 21 June 2, 2020 1 4 June 4, 2020 1 6 June 10, 2020 1 20 August 22, 2020 1 92 258 3 Germany March 17, 2020 14 1580 April 20, 2020 3 581 April 21, 2020 1 233 April 21, 2020 1 285 April 21, 2020 1 237 April 21, 2020 1 187 April 21, 2020 1 186 April 22, 2020 1 355 412 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 22, 2020 1 180 April 22, 2020 1 330 April 22, 2020 1 182 April 22, 2020 1 356 April 23, 2020 1 196 April 23, 2020 1 165 May 4, 2020 1 3 May 9, 2020 1 107 May 10, 2020 1 5 May 16, 2020 1 157 May 26, 2020 1 206 January 23, 2021 1 1 5532 4 Angola June 25, 2020 1 22 22 5 Argentina March 19-24, 2020 4 57 May 6, 2020 27 84 6 Albania April 21, 2020 26 April 29, 2020 1 7 June 11, 2020 1 30 63 7 Australia May 7, 2020 1 120 120 8 Austria March 17, 2020 1 112 April 23, 2020 1 314 426 9 Azerbaijan March 14-17, 2020 6 732 March 24- April 2, 2020 3 77 April 2, 2020 1 150 April 15, 2020 1 17 April 22, 2020 1 181 April 23, 2020 1 182 April 24, 2020 1 298 April 24, 2020 1 160 April 30, 2020 1 7 May 21, 2020 1 19 May 23, 2020 1 4 June 6, 2020 1 10 June 8, 2020 1 1 June 9, 2020 1 5 June 12, 2020 2 317 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 413 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS June 13, 2020 2 275 June 17, 2020 1 3 June 18, 2020 1 151 June 23, 2020 1 13 June 25, 2020 1 165 June 26, 2020 1 170 June 30, 2020 1 10 July 2, 2020 1 33 July 8, 2020 2 6 July 11, 2020 1 1 July 25, 2020 1 1 August 27, 2020 1 12 September 7, 2020 5 10 September 11, 2020 4 12 September 14, 2020 4 4 September 19, 2020 2 4 September 21, 2020 4 5 September 25, 2020 4 5 September 29, 2020 3 5 October 5, 2020 2 3 October 9, 2020 3 9 November 16, 2020 1 1 November 24, 2020 1 2 January 30, 2021 1 2 January 30, 2021 1 1 3063 10 UAE April 10, 2020 1 6 April 15, 2020 1 2 April 22, 2020 1 348 April 23, 2020 1 347 May 8, 2020 1 196 May 24, 2020 1 194 May 30, 2020 1 9 June 19, 2020 1 348 June 22, 2020 1 349 July 30, 2020 1 279 August 1, 2020 1 292 414 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS August 12, 2020 1 304 September 16, 2020 1 139 October 16, 2020 1 209 November 12, 2020 1 200 3222 11 Bahamas May 13, 2020 7 7 12 Bahrain April 22, 2020 1 62 May 20, 2020 1 102 July 23, 2020 1 123 287 13 Bangladesh April 21, 2020 1 152 May 24, 2020 1 3 155 14 Barbados June 4, 2020 1 72 72 15 Belarus March 30-31, 2020 2 50 April 1-6, 2020 5 128 April 7, 2020 1 70 May 20, 2020 1 63 October 23, 2020 1 1 312 16 Belgium March 17, 2020 1 122 April 21, 2020 1 328 August 14, 2020 1 1 451 17 Bolivia May 6, 2020 1 August 28, 2020 1 2 August 28, 2020 1 1 4 18 Bosnia and Herzegovina April 18, 2020 1 8 April 28, 2020 1 58 June 4, 2020 19 June 21, 2020 1 20 October 14, 2020 1 1 November 8, 2020 1 1 November 28, 2020 1 3 January 25, 2021 1 1 111 19 Brazil 1 3 1 33 1 1 37 20 Bulgaria 108 May 1, 2020 1 4 112 21 Burkina Faso May 3, 2020 44 44 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 415 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 22 Algeria March 20, 2020 1 194 April 3, 2020 2 537 April 4, 2020 3 1096 April 22, 2020 1 281 April 22, 2020 1 344 April 23, 2020 1 144 April 24, 2020 1 118 May 10, 2020 1 101 July 21-22 2020 3 961 3776 23 Djibouti April 25, 2020 1 103 June 22, 2020 1 24 127 24 Chad May 26, 2020 1 11 11 25 Czech Republic March 30, 2020 1 8 April 21, 2020 1 106 114 26 People’s Republic of China February 1, 2020 1 27 1 2 May 16, 2020 1 2 May 22, 2020 1 1 June 13, 2020 1 1 June 24, 2020 1 55 88 27 Denmark March 17, 2020 1 17 April 24, 2020 1 114 131 28 Dominican Republic March 14-23, 2020 4 8 May 13, 2020 1 123 131 29 Ecuador May 17, 2020 2 May 20, 2020 1 2 1 2 6 30 Equatorial Guinea February 9, 2021 1 2 2 31 Indonesia June 18, 2020 1 128 128 32 Eritrea July 10, 2020 1 1 3 33 Armenia April 28, 2020 1 4 June 11, 2020 1 7 July 16, 2020 1 4 15 416 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 34 Estonia May 20, 2020 2 May 26, 2020 2 4 35 Ethiopia March 28, 2020 1 125 March 28, 2020 1 91 March 30, 2020 1 205 April 26, 2020 1 237 May 26, 2020 1 659 36 Morocco March 17, 2020 1 224 April 24, 2020 1 277 June 26, 2020 1 177 678 37 Côte d'Ivoire May 10, 2020 1 89 89 38 Philippines 25 May 21, 2020 13 June 3, 2020 1 1 June 12, 2020 1 73 July 10, 2020 1 2 114 39 Finland April 23, 2020 10 10 40 France March 17, 2020 5 520 March 24, 2020 1 134 April 3, 2020 1 144 April 23, 2020 1 179 April 23, 2020 1 320 April 23, 2020 1 163 April 23, 2020 1 288 April 23, 2020 1 181 April 30, 2020 1 3 May 1, 2020 1 2 June 12, 2020 1 281 July 30, 2020 1 1 October 14, 2020 1 1 October 26, 2020 1 1 January 23, 2021 2 2 2220 41 Gambia April 25, 2020 3 3 42 Ghana April 25, 2020 1 43 July 15, 2020 1 100 August 4, 2020 1 37 180 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 417 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 43 Guinea March 31, 2020 1 78 May 3, 2020 1 77 155 44 Guatemala June 27-28, 2020 2 3 July 22, 2020 1 1 4 45 Republic of South Africa 1 6 May 22, 2020 1 63 June 22, 2020 1 18 87 46 South Korea May 7, 2020 1 May 21, 2020 1 21 June 19, 2020 1 45 67 47 Georgia 13 April 28, 2020 2 33 April 30, 2020 1 4 July 8, 2020 1 1 July 12, 2020 1 1 July 13, 2020 1 1 July 13, 2020 1 1 July 15, 2020 1 1 July 16, 2020 1 2 July 16, 2020 1 1 July 17, 2020 1 1 July 23, 2020 1 1 July 27, 2020 1 1 July 30, 2020 1 2 August 5, 2020 1 2 August 8, 2020 1 2 August 14, 2020 1 1 August 15, 2020 1 1 August 22, 2020 1 1 August 23, 2020 1 1 August 24, 2020 1 1 August 24, 2020 1 1 August 25, 2020 1 1 August 27, 2020 1 2 August 29, 2020 1 1 418 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS August 30, 2020 1 5 August 31, 2020 1 1 September 1, 2020 1 1 September 29, 2020 1 1 September 1, 2020 1 1 September 2, 2020 1 1 September 9, 2020 1 1 September 10, 2020 1 2 September 12, 2020 4 4 September 30, 2020 2 2 October 7, 2020 1 1 October 16, 2020 1 1 October 19, 2020 1 1 October 21, 2020 1 1 October 22, 2020 1 1 October 29, 2020 1 1 November 1, 2020 1 1 November 3, 2020 1 1 November 4, 2020 1 1 November 6, 2020 1 2 November 11, 2020 1 4 November 14, 2020 1 4 November 16, 2020 1 1 November 16, 2020 1 2 November 17, 2020 1 1 November 20, 2020 1 1 November 23, 2020 1 1 November 24, 2020 1 3 November 28, 2020 1 2 December 1, 2020 1 1 December 6, 2020 1 1 December 9, 2020 1 1 December 18, 2020 1 1 January 12, 2021 1 1 131 48 Croatia April 28, 2020 48 May 28, 2020 1 40 88 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 419 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 49 India 12 April 5, 2020 1 2 April 28, 2020 2 157 June 8, 2020 1 22 June 14, 2020 1 59 June 30, 2020 1 3 255 50 Netherlands March 17, 2020 2 354 April 17, 2020 1 349 April 22, 2020 1 347 April 24, 2020 1 312 May 8, 2020 1 302 June 2, 2020 1 237 June 10, 2020 1 2 October 14, 2020 1 1 January 22, 2021 1 1 February 10, 2021 1 1 1906 51 Honduras March 30, 2020 1 1 1 52 Iraq April 3, 2020 1 49 April 7, 2020 2 334 April 7, 2020 1 233 April 8, 2020 1 278 April 8, 2020 1 267 April 9, 2020 1 13 April 16, 2020 2 265 April 20, 2020 1 267 April 23, 2020 1 366 April 29, 2020 1 135 April 30, 2020 1 285 May 12, 2020 1 324 May 14, 2020 1 90 May 21, 2020 1 171 May 23, 2020 1 135 June 11, 2020 1 163 June 13, 2020 1 14 June 18, 2020 1 28 June 18, 2020 1 205 420 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS July 6, 2020 1 38 July 22, 2020 1 24 July 24, 2020 1 33 August 16, 2020 1 90 August 16, 2020 1 1 August 22, 2020 1 30 September 14, 2020 1 1 September 16, 2020 1 1 September 24, 2020 1 95 September 24, 2020 1 2 September 27, 2020 1 1 October 1, 2020 1 122 October 1, 2020 1 1 October 29, 2020 1 1 4062 53 United Kingdom March 23-24, 2020 4 979 April 16, 2020 1 261 April 17, 2020 1 349 April 17, 2020 1 160 April 20, 2020 1 337 April 21, 2020 1 335 May 15, 2020 1 2 June 1, 2020 1 1 2424 54 Iran 564 April 27, 2020 1 32 November 9, 2020 1 1 597 55 Ireland March 23, 2020 2 394 April 20, 2020 1 115 May 26, 2020 1 510 56 Spain March 17, 2020 2 70 April 20, 2020 1 91 April 22, 2020 1 107 May 10, 2020 1 4 June 10, 2020 1 1 June 13, 2020 1 3 June 23, 2020 1 85 June 24, 2020 1 93 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 421 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS December 22, 2020 1 1 455 57 Israel 4 April 14, 2020 1 16 April 21, 2020 1 38 June 9, 2020 1 118 176 58 Sweden March 17, 2020 1 72 April 23, 2020 1 241 April 26, 2020 1 4 317 59 Switzerland March 23, 2020 34 April 23, 2020 1 171 April 23, 2020 1 155 360 60 Italy March 24, 2020 2 401 April 24, 2020 1 245 June 21, 2020 1 1 647 61 Jamaica May 13, 2020 3 3 62 Japan April 13, 2020 2 April 24, 2020 1 May 7, 2020 5 June 18, 2020 1 90 98 63 Cambodia 1 1 May 21, 2020 3 June 12, 2020 1 5 64 Cameroon April 1, 2020 1 75 June 25, 2020 1 37 112 65 Canada 125 April 9, 2020 1 214 April 22, 2020 1 270 June 4, 2020 1 364 June 9, 2020 1 309 1282 66 Montenegro March 20, 2020 1 194 April 4, 2020 3 479 April 22, 2020 1 73 April 24, 2020 1 148 May 28, 2020 2 June 11, 2020 82 978 67 Qatar 645 422 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 26, 2020 1 161 April 26, 2020 1 288 1094 68 Kazakhstan March 26-29, 2020 4 465 April 17, 2020 1 73 April 24, 2020 1 164 May 12, 2020 2 292 June 4, 2020 1 95 June 5, 2020 1 65 July 10, 2020 1 2 July 10, 2020 1 2 July 23, 2020 1 2 August 5, 2020 1 1 December 16, 2020 1 1 December 24, 2020 1 1 January 5, 2021 1 1 1164 69 Kenya March 17-21, 2020 3 56 April 28, 2020 113 June 19, 2020 1 14 June 24, 2020 1 32 215 70 Kyrgyzstan April 21, 2020 1 305 May 16, 2020 1 149 July 2, 2020 1 204 July 4, 2020 1 135 July 5, 2020 1 1 July 9, 2020 1 147 July 15, 2020 1 4 July 16, 2020 1 135 July 17, 2020 1 4 July 23, 2020 1 237 July 27, 2020 1 41 July 30, 2020 1 115 1477 71 TRNC March 22, 2020 1 393 March 27, 2020 1 121 April 1, 2020 1 132 April 4, 2020 1 188 April 19, 2020 3 551 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 423 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 29, 2020 1 3 May 9, 2020 1 176 May 14, 2020 2 461 May 21, 2020 1 182 May 22, 2020 2 646 May 28, 2020 2 507 May 29, 2020 1 202 May 30, 2020 1 145 May 30, 2020 1 384 June 1, 2020 1 380 June 3, 2020 1 384 June 6, 2020 2 594 June 11, 2020 1 442 June 11, 2020 1 126 June 12, 2020 1 154 June 13, 2020 1 357 June 15, 2020 1 185 June 18, 2020 1 28 September 9, 2020 1 4 2892 9637 72 Colombia 10 May 26, 2020 39 49 73 Democratic Republic of the Congo April 26, 2020 2 July 1, 2020 1 13 15 74 Kosovo April 21, 2020 1 77 June 4, 2020 1 41 November 22, 2020 1 4 122 75 Costa Rica May 14, 2020 1 4 May 15, 2020 1 2 6 76 Kuwait April 2, 2020 1 301 April 3, 2020 1 343 April 7, 2020 1 349 April 14, 2020 1 248 April 17, 2020 1 348 April 22, 2020 1 348 424 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 24, 2020 1 309 April 30, 2020 1 349 May 6, 2020 1 349 May 8, 2020 1 291 May 10, 2020 1 260 May 20, 2020 1 258 June 13, 2020 1 155 June 14, 2020 1 7 June 15, 2020 2 463 4378 77 North Macedonia April 1-3, 2020 2 82 April 8, 2020 2 88 April 20, 2020 1 259 April 22, 2020 1 259 June 4, 2020 31 June 17, 2020 1 43 762 78 Cuba May 13, 2020 9 9 79 Latvia May 26, 2020 11 11 80 Liberia May 10, 2020 97 July 4, 2020 1 76 173 81 Libya March 31, 2020 April 7, 2020 2 8 April 16, 2020 2 186 April 27, 2020 1 1 May 7, 2020 1 45 May 14, 2020 1 7 June 14, 2020 1 30 June 22, 2020 1 3 July 1, 2020 1 9 July 17, 2020 1 8 September 18, 2020 1 3 300 82 Lithuania May 20, 2020 7 May 26, 2020 27 34 83 Lebanon 46 April 17, 2020 1 4 50 84 Luxembourg 60 May 26, 2020 2 62 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 425 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 85 Hungary March 26, 2020 1 5 April 20, 2020 1 1 April 21, 2020 1 123 May 14, 2020 1 36 165 86 Madagascar May 16, 2020 1 31 October 27, 2020 1 6 37 87 Maldives May 5, 2020 178 178 88 Malaysia April 24, 2020 62 62 89 Mali April 27, 2020 1 44 June 24, 2020 30 74 90 Malta April 19, 2020 1 104 May 7, 2020 1 1 May 8, 2020 1 24 129 91 Mauritius June 28, 2020 1 7 7 92 Mexico May 17, 2020 1 June 2, 2020 38 July 2, 2020 1 23 62 93 Egypt March 24, 2020 1 87 April 14, 2020 1 76 April 20, 2020 1 164 June 3, 2020 1 5 June 18, 2020 1 64 June 19, 2020 1 81 July 9, 2020 1 50 July 13, 2020 1 50 September 23, 2020 1 1 578 94 Mongolia March 18, 2020 1 6 May 13, 2020 1 3 July 9, 2020 1 7 September 18, 2020 1 3 December 17, 2020 1 3 22 95 Moldova March 26, 2020 1 40 April 23, 2020 1 99 139 96 Mauritania April 25, 2020 1 92 June 21, 2020 1 141 June 22, 2020 1 38 271 426 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS 97 Mozambique May 22, 2020 21 July 28, 2020 1 84 105 98 Myanmar June 29, 2020 1 2 2 99 Namibia August 18, 2020 1 1 November 19, 2020 1 1 2 100 Nepal June 1, 2020 1 8 June 24, 2020 1 4 12 101 Niger April 27, 2020 102 June 4, 2020 1 4 June 19, 2020 1 99 July 18, 2020 1 104 309 102 Nigeria April 25, 2020 1 80 June 25, 2020 44 July 5, 2020 108 232 103 Nicaragua June 11, 2020 1 1 104 Norway March 17, 2020 1 10 April 23, 2020 19 June 1, 2020 1 1 30 105 Uzbekistan March 21, 2020 1 164 March 26, 2020 1 232 March 28, 2020 1 87 April 23, 2020 1 291 May 13, 2020 1 156 May 21, 2020 1 71 June 1, 2020 1 55 July 25, 2020 1 4 August 23, 2020 1 1 August 27, 2020 1 2 1063 106 Pakistan 20 April 22, 2020 1 133 July 11, 2020 1 18 171 107 Papua New Guinea July 23, 2020 1 29 29 108 Paraguay May 6, 2020 1 June 5, 2020 1 2 3 109 Peru May 26, 2020 47 47 110 Polonya March 23-24, 2020 2 437 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 427 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 1, 2020 1 53 April 17, 2020 1 250 October 26, 2020 1 1 November 28, 2020 1 1 742 111 Portugal March 18-20, 2020 2 123 April 22, 2020 43 166 112 Romania March 30, 2020 1 12 April 21, 2020 1 73 June 1, 2020 1 57 142 113 Rwanda May 26, 2020 2 June 22, 2020 1 37 39 114 Russian Federation March 27-April 11 2020 2 23 March 30, 2020 1 56 April 6-7, 2020 x 6 April 22, 2020 1 181 April 22, 2020 1 180 April 29, 2020 2 431 May 29, 2020 1 82 June 10-11 2020 3 1062 June 19, 2020 1 2 June 23, 2020 1 1 August 4, 2020 1 1 August 8, 2020 1 2 August 14, 2020 1 1 August 16, 2020 1 1 November 2, 2020 1 1 2030 115 Senegal April 25, 2020 60 May 20, 2020 1 1 61 116 Sierra Leone May 3, 2020 2 2 117 Singapore April 24, 2020 24 June 9, 2020 1 22 46 118 Slovakia March 17, 2020 12 April 23, 2020 23 35 119 Slovenia April 28, 2020 12 12 120 Serbia March 25-31, 2020 2 256 428 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 22, 2020 1 94 June 11, 2020 1 30 June 21, 2020 1 148 July 8, 2020 1 2 October 28, 2020 1 December 17, 2020 1 1 532 121 Somalia April 25, 2020 99 April 26, 2020 1 June 15, 2020 1 62 162 122 Sri Lanka 1 1 May 5, 2020 1 31 32 123 St. Vincent and the Grenadines May 13, 2020 12 12 124 Sudan March 21, 2020 1 50 March 24, 2020 53 April 22, 2020 1 180 April 22, 2020 1 179 May 6, 2020 1 1 June 16, 2020 1 275 June 17, 2020 1 126 864 125 Saudi Arabia April 5, 2020 3 366 April 14, 2020 1 179 April 14, 2020 1 315 April 14, 2020 1 159 April 18, 2020 1 170 April 20, 2020 1 166 April 21, 2020 1 167 April 22, 2020 1 182 April 22, 2020 1 160 April 22, 2020 1 173 April 22, 2020 1 309 April 22, 2020 1 351 April 23, 2020 1 295 April 23, 2020 1 182 April 23, 2020 1 190 April 23, 2020 1 176 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 429 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS April 24, 2020 1 292 April 24, 2020 1 348 April 26, 2020 1 169 April 27, 2020 1 250 April 28, 2020 1 170 April 30, 2020 2 338 May 2, 2020 3 504 May 3, 2020 1 168 May 4, 2020 2 307 May 22, 2020 2 674 May 22, 2020 3 974 June 10, 2020 1 287 June 21, 2020 3 982 June 22, 2020 2 523 June 23, 2020 2 561 July 4, 2020 1 156 July 6, 2020 1 72 July 8, 2020 1 147 July 9, 2020 1 83 July 13, 2020 1 93 July 16, 2020 1 123 July 18, 2020 1 126 July 21, 2020 1 120 July 26, 2020 1 137 July 27, 2020 2 334 July 29, 2020 2 396 August 4, 2020 1 87 August 9, 2020 1 139 August 11, 2020 1 146 August 19, 2020 1 110 August 19, 2020 1 4 September 3, 2020 1 218 September 4, 2020 1 194 September 3, 2020 1 48 September 4, 2020 1 106 September 4, 2020 1 61 430 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS September 10, 2020 1 169 September 10, 2020 1 107 September 23, 2020 1 48 September 23, 2020 1 41 September 18, 2020 1 34 September 20, 2020 1 38 September 25, 2020 1 11 September 26, 2020 1 1 September 27, 2020 1 7 September 29, 2020 1 105 September 29, 2020 1 88 September 29, 2020 1 140 September 29, 2020 1 82 October 5, 2020 1 35 October 5, 2020 1 45 October 6, 2020 1 52 October 7, 2020 1 104 October 9, 2020 1 55 October 11, 2020 1 78 February 17, 2021 1 1 14228 126 Chile May 17, 2020 1 May 21, 2020 1 4 5 127 Tajikistan May 23, 2020 1 98 98 128 Tanzania April 28, 2020 1 153 May 7, 2020 1 2 May 16, 2020 131 January 25, 2021 1 1 February 22, 2021 1 4 291 129 Thailand 2 April 23, 2020 1 82 May 29, 2020 1 59 143 130 Tunisia March 19-22, 2020 2 12 April 15, 2020 1 39 May 6, 2020 1 21 June 8, 2020 1 15 87 131 Turkmenistan June 26, 2020 1 133 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 431 NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS July 10, 2020 1 30 August 7, 2020 1 91 August 18, 2020 1 14 August 27, 2020 1 7 September 24, 2020 1 11 September 24, 2020 1 47 October 17, 2020 1 25 October 23, 2020 1 34 December 4, 2020 1 35 December 4, 2020 1 2 December 22, 2020 1 30 December 22, 2020 1 46 January 15, 2021 1 69 January 16, 2021 1 1 January 28, 2021 1 44 January 29, 2021 1 15 February 22, 2021 1 11 February 23, 2021 1 13 February 24, 2021 1 22 680 132 Uganda June 22, 2020 45 45 133 Ukraine March 20-April 2 2020 6 1 701 April 16, 2020 1 141 April 17, 2020 1 349 April 21, 2020 1 298 April 23, 2020 1 319 April 27, 2020 1 10 June 9, 2020 1 318 2136 134 Oman April 23, 2020 1 250 June 17, 2020 1 278 July 29, 2020 1 273 801 135 Uruguay May 6, 2020 6 June 5, 2020 1 4 10 136 Jordan April 23, 2020 1 166 May 7, 2020 1 8 174 137 Venezuela May 31, 2020 1 2 July 5, 2020 1 1 432 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS NO COUNTRY DATE BY AIR BY SEA BY LAND NUMBER OF PASSENGERS July 17, 2020 1 4 7 138 Yemen July 29, 2020 1 1 August 1, 2020 1 1 2 139 Cape Verde April 8, 2020 1 3 3 140 Greece March 22-26, 2020 2 66 March 22-26, 2020 3 21 April 18, 2020 6 152 April 30, 2020 1 1 May 20, 2020 1 5 June 11, 2020 1 1 September 28, 2020 1 1 247 141 Zambia April 26, 2020 1 1 142 Zimbabwe June 11, 2020 1 3 3 Total 644 23 152 88561 INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 433 Evacuation of the Third-Country Citizens in Türkiye to Their Countries In cooperation with our relevant institutions, the Ministry of For- eign Affairs facilitated the evacuation operations of 91 countries from March 17 to June 11, and 37,682 foreign nationals were evacu- ated from Türkiye. 290,000 foreign nationals left Türkiye with direct or indirect help from March 17 until June 11, when pandem- ic-related restrictions were lifted. 368 patients were brought to Türkiye via air ambulance. 434 | TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Efforts Aimed at International Flights After border restrictions to fight against Covid-19 were lifted on June 11, 2020, with some exceptions, initiatives were started at the beginning of June via the representations abroad and with the Embassies in Ankara, in coordination with the related institu- tions, to restart the international flights. As a result of these initia- tives, international flights have started gradually. By February 24, 2021, Türkiye has initiated flights to 97 countries mutually. The flights yet to start are being followed up. Following the identification of mutated variants of the corona- virus in various countries, comprehensive measures have been taken in Türkiye, with the instructions of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the close cooperation of institutions. In this context, flights with the United Kingdom, Denmark, South Africa and Brazil have been suspended except for humanitarian aid and cargo flights. Besides, a 14 days quarantine was made obligatory for those who have been to the United Kingdom and Denmark in the past ten days, in their residence addressees to be declared fol- lowing their arrival in Türkiye and those who have been to the Re- public of South Africa and Brazil in the past ten days, in the places to be determined by the Governorates. It is possible to terminate the quarantine of those whose PCR tests performed at the end of the 10th day of the quarantine period came negative. On the other hand, people over the age of 6, entering Türki- ye from a foreign country, are required to submit the negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR test results performed within the last seventy- two (72) hours before they arrive in Türkiye. In addition, flights have been arranged with special permission even when regular flights to some countries had not started yet, and such flights continue to be arranged. Requests for the said permission are evaluated by the Coordina- tion and Support Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and INTERNATIONAL AIDS AND THE GREATEST EVACUATION OPERATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC | 435 the necessary coordination is conducted with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. In this context, humanitarian flights have been permitted, especially for the evacuation of Turkish citizens in countries where regular flights have not yet started. Likewise, the status of the citizens having been to the coun- tries where the direct flights were suspended and wishing to be placed in a flight to Türkiye for the requisite and humanitarian purposes such as funeral attendance and treatment are evalu- ated by the Coordination and Support Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs individually, and the assistance is provided in consultation with the relevant institutions. COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 437 ÖNSÖZ | 437 Türkiye has methodically, acutely and systematically informed the national and international public by implementing a transparent and effective communication strategy in the fight against novel coronavirus and has made efforts to bring its success on the field to the world agenda by using public diplomacy tools. C H A P T E R 5 C O M M U N I C A T I O N O F T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S S U C C E S S F U L F I G H T A G A I N S T C O R O N A V I R U S 438 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 439 T ürkiye has methodically, acutely and systematically informed the national and international public by implementing a transparent and effective commu- nication strategy in the fight against novel coronavi- rus and has made efforts to bring its success on the field to the world agenda by using public diplomacy tools. The Directorate of Communications, responsible for promoting Türkiye and conveying its claims and theses to international public opin- ion, has played a vital role in this process. Within this frame- work, numerous communication activities organised by the Directorate of Communications such as informative web sites, publications, short films and videos, national and internation- al conferences and organisations have been realised. 5.1. Strategic Communication Tools for International Public Opinion Türkiye’s Effective Fight Against Coronavirus Book The book titled “Türkiye’s Effective Fight Against Corona- virus” provides a global perspective on the Covid-19 pandem- ic, which has affected the whole world, and draws attention to the appreciated healthcare infrastructure and investment ef- C H A P T E R 5 C O M M U N I C A T I O N O F T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S S U C C E S S F U L F I G H T A G A I N S T C O R O N AV I R U S 440 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS forts of Türkiye. While illustrating the effective measures tak- en and the inclusive incentives applied against the pandemic, it also stresses the international aid granted. The book, which includes a comparison of the steps taken by countries after the first case, was published in three languages (English, Turkish, and Arabic) and also made available digitally on the web. National Action Plan for the Pandemic The aim of the “National Action Plan for the Pandemic” is to provide information and a framework to assist all persons, in- stitutions and organisations in Türkiye in understanding pan- demic diseases and preparing themself sufficiently to fulfil their roles and duties and acting in coordination in the event of a pandemic. Coronavirus in Türkiye Bulletin The Directorate of Communications has gathered the devel- opments and the measures taken within the scope of the fight against coronavirus in Türkiye since March 2020 in the ‘’Coro- COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 441 navirus in Türkiye Bulletin. All developments and official state- ments had been compiled, including the prominent matters in our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s several “Addresses to the Nation”, central themes of the press statements of the Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca, statements of the official institutions and organisations in Türkiye and circulars related to the sub- ject. The newsletter was published in two languages: Turkish and English. Bulletin Regarding Türkiye’s Reflections on the Covid-19 in the International Press The Directorate of Communications has been publishing a dai- ly newsletter that compiles the news articles in the internation- al media regarding Türkiye’s fight against coronavirus and in- cludes the prominent statements that appeared in the articles. Türkiye Model for the Fight against Covid-19 – Discourse and Projects Booklet The booklet “Türkiye Model for the Fight against Covid-19- Dis- course and Projects” prepared by the Directorate of Communi- cations, offers suggestions on the discourses and projects that Türkiye may use for the international public following the pan- demic based on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on global politics, international system and power balances. Short Film and Videos Exclusive clips with the contributions of people from all sec- tors such as specialists, artists, chefs, and volunteers, as well as short films and videos were made with the goal to strength- en our unity and solidarity during the pandemic, ensure that people were able to adapt to the new normal, express the dedi- cation of different actors during this period, demonstrate Tür- kiye’s better position compared to other countries, convey the 442 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS struggle for the diagnosis and treatment of the Covid-19. With- in this context, numerous communications projects have been carried out, e.g., Vefa Support film, Life in The Kitchen promo- tional video, Life Fits into Home public service announcement, and We Are All Part of the Whole activity. Covid -19 Türkiye Web Site This project aims to properly convey Türkiye’s Covid-19 mea- sures and fight to the world public opinion, ensure safe infor- mation flow and create a positive perception of Türkiye. The “www.covid19turkey.com” website has been created with- in this context, and its video contents are produced in Turkish, Russian and English, and broadcast on social channels. COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 443 Türkiye Stops Covid Website The Directorate of Communications launched a website called turkiyestopscovid.com, which depicts the effective fight that Türkiye had conducted over the course of a year beginning from March 11, 2020, when the first case of coronavirus, which affected the entire world, was detected in Türkiye. With its slogan ‘’For Humanity’’, the “turkiyestopscovid.com” website, prepared in Turkish and English, includes the efforts of Türkiye both for its citizens and the entire world during this period. The website portraying the Türkiye model regarding the fight against Covid-19 includes a wide range of activities carried out by Türkiye from health to education, from social aid to eco- nomic aid. Moreover, the website contains information regard- ing Türkiye’s contributions in preventing the pandemic at the global level by extending a helping hand. 444 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 445 5.2. Discourse of the Türkiye Model in the Fight Against Covid-19 Conference on Experiences on Covid-19 and International Cooperation in the Fight Against the Pandemic The conference titled “Experiences on Covid-19 and Interna- tional Cooperation in the Fight Against the Pandemic” organ- ised by the Directorate of Communications was broadcast on social media and national channels on April 8, 2020. The video conference’s opening speech, which was broadcast on Turkish and English YouTube Channels of the Directorate, was deliv- ered by the Director of Communications, Prof. Fahrettin Altun. The video conference was moderated by Murat Yeşiltaş, Direc- tor of Security Studies at SETA, and the speakers included Tür- kiye’s Ambassador to Beijing Abdulkadir Emin Önen, Ambas- sador to Rome Murat Salim Esenli, and Ambassador to Seul Durmuş Ersin Erçin. In the conference, the prominence of in- ternational cooperation in the fight against the Covid-19 pan- demic was pointed out. 446 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Video Conference on Post-Covid-19 Global Order In partnership with the Directorate of Communications and the Brookings Doha Institute, the video conference titled “Post-Cov- id-19 Global Order” was held live on YouTube on April 15, 2020. The possible changes in global order after the pandemic were discussed at the conference. In the programme, the Dean of the School of Political Science, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Prof. Mehmet Akif Kireççi, Brookings Doha Director Assoc. Prof. Tarik M. Yousef and Brookings Doha Research Director Asst. Prof. Nader Kabbani shared their assessments. The Discourse of Türkiye’s Fight Against Covid-19 The project was aimed to put forward strong discourses that Tür- kiye might use and effective policies it might implement in the post-pandemic period. Türkiye’s successful performance in the pandemic period was stressed, and its effective presentation was made in all areas with all kinds of strategic communication tools. Within this context, the “NATO ENGAGES” programme was or- ganised, practice examples of countries were given comparatively; a video was shot from the perspectives of foreign athletes residing in Türkiye on Türkiye’s fight against the Coronavirus; the health products developed with national technology were promoted through international fairs, and our country’s health tourism op- portunities were expressed through international channels. The Coronavirus documentary was shot; Türkiye’s fight against Co- vid-19 was reported to countries’ internal public opinion through foreign football players and, the aids provided were shared on so- cial media. Communication of New Normal Order The goal was to realise Türkiye’s foreign policies by taking a more proactive approach to creating a positive perception of Türkiye in the international arena through digital public diplomacy and COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 447 promotion activities that made effective use of new digital com- munication resources such as web seminars during and after the pandemic, and video conferences. In order to stress the way Türkiye fought against Covid-19 and the activities it carried out, the information reports in seven different sectors and a period of 12 months, infographics, videos and street interviews were prepared and shared with the public opinion un- der the title of “Post-pandemic Communication Approaches”. Publicising Türkiye’s Evacuation Organisations abroad during the Coronavirus Pandemic Period The evacuation organisations that Türkiye carried out abroad within the context of the Covid-19 pandemic were unfolded; five evacuation organisation videos, prepared in English and Turkish, were shared on social media. 448 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 449 5.3. Healthcare Infrastructure and Introduction of Applications Türkiye’s Story of Pandemic The project has aimed to keep our people away from disinfor- mation during the Covid-19 period and announce Türkiye’s success in this fight - crowned with the extraordinary dedica- tion of the healthcare staff - to the international public opinion. The research was conducted in two pandemic hospitals. The hospitals’ chief physicians and the routine patient care pro- cesses of the related hospitals were followed and filmed. In this context, 44 interviews were carried out involving health- care staff, especially nurses and physicians at Okmeydanı and Haseki Training and Research Hospitals. Videos of these inter- views were prepared in two languages to address the domestic and foreign public opinion and broadcast on social media. 450 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Promotion of Digital Pandemic Tracking System The project’s goal was to promote the pandemic tracking sys- tem, which enabled the isolation tracking system, which the Ministry of Health implemented, to monitor individuals in isolation and those at risk of viruses via GSM lines. A video film was produced in English and Turkish languages and was broadcast on national channels and digital media as a public service announcement. Moreover, a social media hashtag (#) called “#keepontrack- ingtürkiye” was carried out in order to create social awareness. Three Emergency Hospitals Completed Within 45 Days Following the Presidential Cabinet meeting held by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on April 6, 2020, the news of adding three new emergency hospitals to Istanbul was announced. COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 451 These three projects were completed and put into service in just 45 days. The emergency hospitals’ construction and re- pair stages were recorded continuously, and accelerated pro- motional videos covering the entire process were prepared and shared with the public. Communication of Multipurpose Emergency and Pandemic Hospitals In a period when developed western countries were having a hard time fighting against the pandemic due to the inadequa- cies of the healthcare infrastructure, our country had overcome the process without any trouble with the high-capacity city hospitals that had already been put into service as a result of its visionary healthcare policies. In addition, three multipur- pose emergency hospitals were built and put into service in Is- tanbul within 45 days, taking into account the possible future requirement. Hospital investments carried out in our country contributed to the acceleration of the normalisation process by playing an active role in the Covid-19 pandemic. Hospitals to 452 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS serve in pandemics, earthquakes, and every possible disaster have played an active role in health tourism due to their strate- gic location. The purpose of this communication study was to inform the entire world about these investments. In this con- text, public service announcements were prepared in Turkish and English regarding Prof. Murat Dilmener, Prof. Feriha Öz, and Dr. Niyazi Kurtulmuş hospitals and brought to the atten- tion of the national and international public opinion. Türkiye’s Healthcare Investments and Promotion and Raising Awareness Project Regarding the Fight Against Coronavirus Due to the Covid-19, the importance of the intensive care units and hospital capacities in Türkiye significantly increased; the hospitals and city hospitals’ ongoing constructions were accel- erated, and some hospitals were put into service with ceaseless efforts. The project aimed to share this process with our citizens and to inform and raise awareness of our citizens about ongoing COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 453 investments and services and keep their trust and motivation high in healthcare. For this purpose, video films called “The Heroes Dressed in White Coats”, “City Hospitals” and “Vefa Volunteers” were prepared in two different languages. Promotion of Türkiye’s International Healthcare Assistance The project aimed to explain the rules to be followed, the mea- sures taken, and the studies carried out to reduce the virus’s transmission rate during the Covid-19 pandemic process to all citizens and the world public. Within this scope, video and in- fographic films of Türkiye’s foreign assistance were produced in Turkish and English, and they were broadcast as public ser- vice announcements on national broadcasters and social media platforms. Thus, a contribution to health diplomacy was made by emphasising the strength of Türkiye’s health infrastructure. 454 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 455 5.4. Communication Activities with the Theme of Social Solidarity and Support We Are Self-Sufficient Türkiye Campaign President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched the We Are Self-Suf- ficient Türkiye Solidarity Campaign on April 1, 2020. Türkiye, which has overcome difficult times with a spirit of unity and solidarity, has demonstrated this spirit once more with our citi- zens’ support for the campaign. Within the campaign’s scope, a total of 2,069,338,000 TL was provided to 2,069,338 households/persons. A transparent pro- cess was followed regarding who made the donations collected during the campaign and in what amount, and after the cam- paign ended, information about the places where the funds were spent/will be spent was announced on a regular basis. For this purpose, the website https://bizbizeyeteriz.gov.tr/ was created and social media activities were conducted through #wewillsucceedtogether and #WeAreSelf-SufficientTürkiye hashtags; informative videos on the subject were prepared and published. Few of the thousands of messages of support sent to 456 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS the Presidency’s Communication Centre (CİMER) by citizens during the campaign were shared on corporate social media ac- counts to highlight this voluntary union. Within the campaign’s scope, a work entitled “Unity, Solidar- ity and Fraternity Composition” was composed by combining the importance of national unity and solidarity with the heal- ing power of music during the pandemic period. The composi- tion was broadcast on digital media channels. The 83-year-old nursing home resident donated his holiday bonus to the National Solidarity Campaign. He donated his veteran salary to the “National Solidarity Campaign.” COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 457 Two cousins from Afyonkarahisar donated their savings of 700 TL to the Nati- onal Solidarity Campaign. The kindergarten student donated the money in his piggy bank to the National Solidarity Campaign. 458 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Eid at Home Concerts on Türkiye’s Cultural Treasures Stage Cultural, social, artistic and sports activities that require people to come together could not be carried out during the pandemic period. Therefore, special digital concerts were organised in or- der to minimise the adverse socio-psychological effects of it on society, to feel the Eid joy at home and promote our country’s cultural treasures at the same time. Within the scope of the project, a series of concerts were organ- ised with the participation of our prominent artists, including concerts by Şirin Pancaroğlu and Bora Uymaz at Aphrodisias Ancient Theatre, Ferman Akgül and Ethnic Band in Cappado- cia, Serkan Çağrı and Balkan Ensemble and Elif Buse Doğan at Patara Ancient City, Yusuf Güney at Ephesus Ancient City, Hi- COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 459 erapolis Ancient Theatre Concert, Kubat in Safranbolu, Fettah Can at Istanbul Mimar Sinan University and Mazhar Alanson at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, respectively, and these events were brought to homes through national channels and social media platforms. 460 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 461 5.5. Activities on Informing the Public Letter of Public Information on Türkiye’s Fight Against Covid-19 The letter signed by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was delivered to 22 million households to inform and raise aware- ness of the public in the fight against coronavirus, With this letter, it was intended to communicate the fight against Covid-19 directly to our citizens by the President and raise awareness of our citizens by conveying the most reliable information on this matter. Within the project’s scope, it was planned to distribute the Pub- lic Information Message on Türkiye’s Fight Against Covid-19 to every household in 81 provinces. In accordance with the goal of reaching a population of 82 million and delivering to every household, it has reached 22 million households. 462 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Informative Videos on the Coronavirus Pandemic In this communication activity, the goal was to prepare infor- mative, consciousness-raising and awareness-raising contents to protect the Turkish people from coronavirus and explain the issues to be considered during the fight against the pandemic with videos. For this purpose, three videos were prepared and broadcast on national channels as public service announce- ments, and these were shared on the social media accounts of the Directorate of Communications. Informing the People Under Temporary Protection Status in Our Country and Living in Northern Syria The project was developed to explain the measures to be taken in the Fight against the novel coronavirus to Syrian citizens, who were in our country as guests and away from the war and chaotic environment, in their language. With the project, the aim was to convey the message to the local community that the Turkish people stood with them in this challenging period with 500 thousand brochures distributed by the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), the Turkish Red Crescent, our non-governmental organisations and our soldiers in Jarabulus, al-Bab, Afrin and the temporary protection zones in Türkiye. COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 463 Social Media Activities/Campaigns All activities and campaigns carried out by Türkiye on social media regarding the pandemic have been announced to the public. Within this context, Türkiye’s Daily Coronavirus Over- view Chart had been announced to the public with infograph- ics and the restrictions imposed under the fight against the pandemic with informative visuals and videos. On the other hand, Türkiye’s humanitarian aid to other countries had been effectively illustrated on social media through various videos. 464 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 465 5.6. Initiatives for the Media Members Broadcasting Incentives Provided to Several Institutions in the Public and Private Sector Press Advertisement Agency announced its “decisions on as- sisting the press”, which included a number of incentives and measures in order to overcome the economic challenges faced by the media outlets and media workers during the pandemic. Within this framework, the plunge in the actual sales volume required pursuant to the related legislation had been deemed to be in the scope of force majeure, application period to journal- ist associations for financial aids had been prolonged, and debt recovery procedures of journalists who had borrowed money from the Press Advertisement Institution had been postponed. Health Kits for National and Local Media Members This project aimed to distribute health kits to national and local press members in order to announce Türkiye’s effective fight against the coronavirus at national and local levels all over the country and to provide accurate information to the public. 466 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Within this context, a total of 6,000 health kits containing the book titled “Türkiye’s Effective Fight Against Coronavirus” were sent to national and local media members. Health Kits for International Media Members This project had been developed to communicate Türkiye’s success in the fight against coronavirus and its campaign to ex- tend a helping hand to other countries and prevent disinforma- tion and propaganda in this field. With this project, a total of 3,500 health kits, containing the leaflet explaining Türkiye’s Covid-19 Strategy, a thermometer, disinfectant, surgical mask and gloves, and a book titled “Tür- kiye’s Covid-19 Strategy”, were sent to international media members, primarily resident international journalists in our country. COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 467 COMMUNICATION OF TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS | 469 ÖNSÖZ | 469 We have to improve the resilience of our healthcare system. Türkiye has proved to be an excellent example in this regard. C H A P T E R 6 T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S S U C C E S S I N T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L M E D I A 470 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 471 C H A P T E R 6 T Ü R K İ Y E ’ S S U C C E S S I N T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L M E D I A AP, in its article published on May 20, 2020, titled “Türkiye’s pandemic strategy hinges on hazmat-suited gumshoes”, stated that Türkiye had based its pandemic response on partial lock- downs and the work by armies of contact tracers, which iden- tified people infected by Covid-19 and sought to stamp out the fire before it consumes a neighbourhood, town or region. The article also mentioned Fahrettin Koca’s remarks, the Minister of Health, stating that the pandemic had been brought “un- der control,” with virus deaths and confirmed infections fall- ing. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health noted that it had recorded 151,615 confirmed cases — which placed Türkiye AP: “Türkiye’s pandemic strategy hinges on hazmat-suited gumshoes” / May 20, 2020 472 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS in the global top 10 for infections — and 4,199 deaths. Along with Koca’s statement, “We brought the sickness’ spread un- der control by monitoring the source,” the article stated that at least 6,239 tracers had reached 722,000 people who had con- tact with an infected person since March 10. The article also relayed the statements of the interim chief for WHO’s Türkiye office, Irshad Ali Shaikh, where he pointed out that Türkiye’s downward trajectory in reported confirmed cases “had shown that the interventions seemed to have worked in favour.” The Washington Times: “Turkish government’s strategy turns the tide of Covid-19” / May 19, 2020 Fahrettin Altun’s article published on May 19, 2020, in The Washington Times titled “Turkish government’s strategy turns the tide of Covid-19,” noted that the Turkish government had been providing free universal health care to all citizens and had made early investments in its healthcare infrastructure, the re- sults of which were visible during this period. According to the article, the efforts had been successful in turning the tide. The daily growth of new cases recently dropped to the slowest pace since the first case was confirmed in early March, and daily hospital discharges were far exceeding new cases. The article reviewed the facts to understand Türkiye’s success in manag- ing the crisis, and stated that healthcare had been made more accessible to more people through reforms and investments, that Türkiye ranked among the top five nations in the world in terms of the rate of testing, the government postponed debt payments and reduced certain taxes, and offered interest-free loans with deferred payment to all businesses, provided direct financial assistance to families, announced a 100 billion TL support package for businesses, provided free universal health care, and was one of the few counties in its region to offer free universal health care, helped many countries, implemented re- strictions on the movement of our citizens aged 65 and older and made sure local authorities met all their needs. Moreover, TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 473 the article pointed out that all of this had been guided by Presi- dent Erdoğan’s clear instructions and continuous emphasis on a human-centric and humane approach in meeting this chal- lenge. Bloomberg: “Türkiye Sends Medical Supplies to U.S. as Virus Brings Solidarity” / April 27, 2020 Bloomberg’s article published on April 27, 2020, titled “Türki- ye Sends Medical Supplies to U.S. as Virus Brings Solidarity”, noted that Türkiye showed a gesture of solidarity to a NATO ally and sent a Turkish military cargo plane carrying medi- cal supplies to the U.S. to boost its fight against the coronavi- rus pandemic. According to the article, the donation ordered by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan included 500,000 surgical masks, 40,000 protective overalls, disinfectants, goggles, and face shields. The article quoted Fahrettin Altun’s tweet, the Di- rector of Communications, stating that Türkiye had sent medi- cal supplies to more than 50 countries so far. The article also 474 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS indicated that Türkiye had a substantial pandemic of its own to fight against, with 2,900 deaths. Furthermore, according to the article, David Satterfield, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye, thanked Türkiye for the “generous donation.” TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 475 The news story of Stern of February 25, 2020, titled “Pictures of the Week... Türkiye: Shots at the Peak”, narrated that a mobile vaccine team had reached a remote village called Güneyyamaç in the east of Türkiye, located two thousand metres above sea level, carried China’s Sinovac vaccine in their backpacks and hoped to immunise people over 65 with the vaccine. According to the story, the vaccination campaign in the country had been conducted quite successfully. Since January 13, 6.5 million dos- es were administrated, while in Germany, which began vacci- nation on December 27, approximately five million doses were administrated. Stern: “Pictures of the Week... Türkiye: Shots at the Peak” / February 25, 2020 476 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS The news article of Deutsch-Türkisches Journal published on February 21, 2021, titled “Türkiye surpasses Germany in Coro- na Vaccination”, indicated that thus far, more people had been vaccinated in Türkiye in comparison to Germany, vaccination strategy of Türkiye seemed to be working, and that Türkiye cur- rently had surpassed Germany in terms of vaccinated people. According to the article, at the start of the week (on Monday, February 15, 2021), at least one dose was administrated to 4.6 million Turkish people, and Türkiye was highly likely to cross the 5 million mark soon. The article underlined that only 3.5 million people had been vaccinated in Germany thus far, and this was due to the fact that the strategy followed by Türkiye had been effective, Turkish doctors were able to access the cen- tralised database of the healthcare system through the mobile application, officially registered each citizen was entered in the database along with his/her ID number and medical record and Deutsch-Türkisches Journal: “Türkiye surpasses Germany in Corona Vaccination” / February 21, 2021 TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 477 that Türkiye was much more advanced in terms of the digitisa- tion of the healthcare system compared to many EU-member countries. Furthermore, the article stated that vaccine appoint- ments could be booked over the phone and the internet; Tür- kiye had been fighting against the coronavirus with a perfectly digitised system and had an outstanding healthcare infrastruc- ture. NEX24: “Türkiye... Corona Crisis: European Union Represen- tative praises Turkish healthcare system” / May 17, 2020 The article published by NEX24 on May 17, 2020, titled “Tür- kiye…Corona Crisis: European Union Representative Prais- es Turkish Healthcare System”, reported that in an interview of Christian Berger, the Head of European Union Delegation to Türkiye, with Daily Sabah news, he stated that, “We must strengthen the resilience of our healthcare system. Türkiye has been an excellent example in this regard.” According to the ar- ticle, Berger said that since Türkiye built a robust healthcare system over the years, the Turkish healthcare system was able to cope with the crisis in a good way. In the article which men- tioned Berger statement that Türkiye played a vital role in the development and production of protective kits, it was also not- ed that nearly two-thirds of the world, especially the countries heavily affected by the virus, requested medical supplies from Türkiye to fight against coronavirus and thus far, 64 coun- tries received medical aid. The article pointed out that medi- cal masks, protective clothing, gloves, and disinfectants were provided. 478 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In the Deutsche Welle-Internet’s article published on May 6, 2020, titled “How Do Turkish Hospitals Cope with the Flood of Patients?”, it was reported that the Turkish healthcare sys- tem coped with the coronavirus pandemic better than expect- ed, and the healthcare staff in the country worked with all their might until they were exhausted. According to the report, the Turkish healthcare system was able to cope with the pandemic so far. According to the Turkish government, the bed capacity in Turkish hospitals had not been filled. Only 60% of the inten- sive care beds were filled. According to some experts, the rea- son for this success was attributed to well-trained doctors and well-equipped hospitals. İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Fac- ulty of Medicine, the largest Turkish hospital, was at the fore- front of the fight against the virus. The article also stated that despite all the difficulties caused by the coronavirus crisis, one positive effect was that the pandemic strengthened the spirit of solidarity in society and among Cerrahpaşa Hospital staff. Deutsche Welle-Internet: “How Do Turkish Hospitals Cope with the Flood of Patients?” / May 6, 2020 TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 479 NEX24: “Patient’s Daughters Thanked Erdoğan…Türkiye Brings Coronavirus Patient from Sweden” / April 26, 2020 In the article published by NEX24 on April 26, 2020, titled “Pa- tient’s Daughters Thanked Erdoğan…Türkiye Brings Coronavi- rus Patient from Sweden”, it was reported that after a hospital in Sweden sent a 47-year-old Turkish citizen home although he tested positive and there was a severe course of coronavirus infection in terms of symptoms. His two daughters Leyla and Samira Gülüşken, called on the Turkish government from Twit- ter and asked for help, saying, “Help us make our voices heard. Our father is in bad shape. He needs to be treated in a short time.” According to the article, Türkiye’s Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca responded to the desperate cry for help from his daughters and stated that a plane would be sent for their sick father, saying, “Dear Leyla, we heard your voice. Our air ambu- lance is taking off at 6 a.m., and we’re coming to Sweden. We, the people of Türkiye, are sorry that you’re are far from home in such a period. Our hospital and our doctors are ready for your father. I convey the wishes of our President and our people for your father to get well soon.” According to the article, Gülüşken and his children were taken to the Ankara City Hospital fol- lowing their routine health inspection after the air ambulance in question arrived in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye. The girls thanked the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca and the government on Twit- ter and expressed that they were proud of Türkiye. 480 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In a news article of Avropa.info published on April 17, 2020, titled “TİKA Continues its Fight Against Covid-19 Globally”, it was re- ported that the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) played an important role in Türkiye’s fight against novel coronavirus globally with its aid and support activities carried out around the world. According to the article, Batumi Infectious Dis- eases Hospital renewed and increased in capacity with the sup- port of Türkiye and put into service on November 22 last year, Ga- za Palestine-Türkiye Friendship Hospital, built by TİKA in Gaza, and Bishkek Kyrgyzstan-Türkiye Friendship Hospital, completed in Kyrgyzstan, played an important role in the fight against Co- vid-19 pandemic. TİKA supports the production of face shield protective masks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Libya, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Uganda, Algeria, Sudan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia and Sri Lanka. The agency had begun to provide train- ing to 360 healthcare staff from eight districts in Aden, located in the south of Yemen, within the scope of the fight against Covid-19. TİKA provided food and cleaning supplies to families, people over the age of 65, those on a low income, and those in need in Guin- ea, Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Kyrgyzstan, Chuy, Arbil, and Kirkuk who had been negatively affected by the pandemic. Avropa.info: “TİKA Continues its Fight Against Covid-19 Globally” / April 17, 2020 TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 481 France 24: “Turkish Hospitals Are Shown as a Good Example in the Administration of Covid-19” / June 27, 2020 In France 24’s news report published on June 27, 2020, titled “Turkish Hospitals Are Shown as a Good Example in the Ad- ministration of Covid-19”, it was reported that Türkiye, with a population of 83 million and less than 200 thousand record- ed positive cases, was considered as a country fighting against coronavirus successfully. In addition to stating that the Istan- bul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine was one of the most active hospitals in Türkiye in the fight against coronavi- rus, the article quoted Dr Yalım Dikmen who said, “The first wave is not over yet, and all countries are preparing for the sec- ond wave in autumn. Of course, we expect it to arrive here, as well, but we have the capacity to take care of all patients.” It was also noted that the difference in Türkiye’s approach was that patients were kept under observation before the disease ad- vanced. According to the article, Türkiye was one of the OECD countries that invested in the healthcare sector in recent years, with a return on investment in health tourism of nearly 1.5 bil- lion euros in 2018. 482 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS In the article of The Economist published on June 5, 2020, with the title “What Türkiye Got Right about the Pandemic”, it was reported that the Turkish government coped with the pandemic better than most countries. According to the article, the government’s strategy was successful in the fight against the pandemic. While those in the highest risk groups survived the worst of the pandemic, the majority of infected people of working age had already recovered. It was reported that the death rate was one-tenth of that recorded in Britain. According to the article, President Erdoğan and the governments he led had poured tens of billions of dollars into healthcare services in the last two decades, with the majority of this money spent on the construction of a hospital network the size of an inter- national airport, the last of which had a bed capacity of nearly 2 thousand 700, with roughly one-sixth of that being intensive care, was put into service on May 21. The news article also stat- ed that while the Covid-19 wave never reached the point where it paralysed the healthcare system, medical supplies were nev- er in short supply. The Economist: “What Türkiye Got Right about the Pandemic” / June 5, 2020 TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 483 Asahi Shimbun: “Surprising Generosity…Measures Türkiye Applied on Covid-19 Pandemic Are Mystery” / May 2, 2020 In Asahi Shimbun’s article published on May 2, 2020, titled “Surprising Generosity…Measures Türkiye Applied on Covid-19 Pandemic Are Mystery”, it was noted that just as the demand for materials used to fight against the infection such as masks, protective clothing and respirators was increasing in Japan, the reason for Türkiye’s free distribution of five masks per week, free treatment of infected people, and continuous delivery of supplies to other countries affected by the coronavirus pan- demic was shown as the front formed by the public and private in the fight against coronavirus. The article also stated that since 2017, several large city hospitals had been put into service in Türkiye each year, all of which could be converted into inten- sive care units in an emergency. 484 | GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY: TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Erkin Too’s article published on August 27, 2020, titled “Tür- kiye’s Safe Tourism Certification Program sets an example for the whole world”, stated that an influx of tourists began from Russia, England, Germany, and Ukraine to Türkiye, which launched a Healthy Tourism Certification Program at hotels in May as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the article, Türkiye’s Safe Tourism Certification Program defined a wide range of new measures from transportation to accom- modation for Turkish citizens and foreign visitors, from health conditions of employees working at touristic facilities to pas- sengers. This certificate verifies that airlines, airports, other transportation means and accommodation facilities, food and beverage facilities meet the high level of health and hygiene conditions. The “Safe Tourism Certification Program,” one of the world’s first examples, was established under the supervi- sion of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with contributions Erkin Too: “Türkiye’s Safe Tourism Certification Program sets an example for the whole world” / August 27, 2020 TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA | 485 from the Ministries of Health, Transportation and Infrastruc- ture, Interior, and Foreign Affairs, as well as collaboration from all sector stakeholders. Within this context, the Ministry of Cul- ture and Tourism has put the pandemic protocols and certifi- cation procedures generated separately for airport operators, airlines, road transportations and tourism facilities into effect as of May 4, 2020. © 2 0 2 1 GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY TÜRKİYE’S SUCCESSFUL FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS Türkiye’s Successful Fight Against Coronavirus GLOBAL PANDEMIC OF THE CENTURY ISBN: 978-625-7377-02-7