Interior Ministry sends ‘New Year’s circular’ to all 81 provinces

ANKARA

The Interior Ministry has sent a circular on “New Year’s Measures” to provincial governor’s offices of all 81 provinces regarding the tightening of security measures in order to ensure that citizens can spend New Year’s Eve in an atmosphere of peace and security.

Within the scope of the circular, inspections will be increased in crowded areas such as tourist places, shopping malls, airports, seaports, metros and railway stations.

With the new security practices, security measures will be increased against all kinds of attacks, sabotage and actions that may occur in regions with economic, strategic or symbolic importance.

In order to ensure the safety of life and property of citizens, people will be informed about possible theft incidents, while patrol teams will be assigned.

Additional security measures will also be implemented in regions where there is a high tourist density due to winter tourism and on train lines that have recently been in high demand in tourism transportation such as the Eastern Express.

Within this framework, the ministry will take the necessary measures to ensure that citizens and foreign tourists should be able to travel safely.

Controls on the production, distribution and sale of illegal or counterfeit alcohol will be increased, and coordination with the relevant institutions will be carried out.

In order to ensure traffic safety, the tachographs, winter tires, lighting and other technical equipment of the buses will be inspected at intercity bus terminals, way stations and on highway routes.

After 12 a.m. on New Year’s Eve, the teams will focus on alcohol inspections, while the necessary legal actions will be taken against drivers who are found to have consumed alcohol above the limits set in the legislation.

As the traffic flow will intensify from other provinces to tourism centers, especially the provinces where major ski facilities are located, additional traffic measures will be planned on the routes of these provinces.

The Ministry also stated that since citizens seeking to spend the New Year’s holidays in accommodation facilities may create traffic congestion on urban and intercity routes during the round trip to these facilities, the teams also will take necessary measures.

With the aim of combating irregular migration and migrant smuggling, the teams will also elaborate on the inspection of passports, documents replacing passports or travel permit of foreigners in the country.

In provinces with a coastline, deterrent and effective measures against migrant smuggling will be continued, together with the units of the Coast Guard Command and other law enforcement agencies.