No step back from social state while fighting COVID-19: Erdoğan

ANKARA

Turkey will continue to implement the basic principles of a social state and will not deprive any citizen from using natural gas or electricity even if they cannot pay the bills, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, urging his ministers to continue to provide utmost service to the people.

“We may consider the postponement of the payments, but we have never cut electricity or natural gas even in far worse days. Because it’s a social state, no such steps taken in a social state. We are determined on this,” Erdoğan said in a videoconference with Vice President Fuat Oktay on March 24.

Erdoğan also spoke with Education Minister Ziya Selçuk, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli through videoconference.

Erdoğan told Oktay that those who are trying to export medical equipment needed in the fight against the coronavirus and those who are overcharging in the internal market will pay the price of their actions.

His conversation with Selçuk was on the launch of distance learning for the primary, secondary and high school students. Erdoğan congratulated the minister for the project and underlined that it could be further improved for future use of the system.

On whether the closure of the schools could be extended, Erdoğan said “It could be extended or not,” underlining that they will abide by the recommendations of the Scientific Council.

The council will convene on March 25 with the participation of Selçuk to revise the latest situation and decide whether the suspension will be extended.