Turkey closes border with Iran amid coronavirus concerns

ISTANBUL

Turkey has temporarily closed its border gates with Iran on Feb. 23 over the coronavirus cases determined in the neighboring country, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

“All transitions are temporarily stopped,” Koca told reporters, adding that the crossings from Iran to Turkey were halted, but crossings from Turkey into Iran will continue.

All international flight arrivals from Iran will be stopped unilaterally and temporarily at 20:00, he added.

Turkey decided to restrict border movements over a total of 43 coronavirus cases in Iran which led to eight deaths so far, the minister said.

Turkey has a total of four land border crossings with Iran, Koca said.

The minister also announced that five Iranian citizens who were taken under treatment at a state hospital on Saturday in eastern Van province due to flu symptoms were tested negative for coronavirus.