Turkey to suspend all judicial proceedings until April 30

ANKARA

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül has announced that all judicial proceedings have been suspended until April 30, as part of measures taken to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“As by the law passed in parliament, all judicial proceedings have been suspended until April 30. The HSK [Council of Judges and Prosecutors] have been authorized for other measures such as the postponement of trials,” Gül said in a tweet.

Parliament on March 24 passed an omnibus bill overseeing amendments in some laws for regulations in the economy.

The bill stipulates many changes from granting financial help for minimum wage for employers, to postponing electricity and natural gas payments in disaster areas.

“Our citizens will not experience any loss of rights; let’s stay at home and decrease the risk,” Gül added.

Turkey’s death toll from the coronavirus increased by seven to 44, as the number of confirmed cases rose by 343 to 1,872, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on late March 24.

He said on Twitter that 3,952 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out in Turkey to around 28,000.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that there are no confirmed cases among the Turkish military staff.

“We have not had any incidents so far, and we will complete our duties without one,” Akar told a press conference.

Akar also announced that a center to mitigate the spread of coronavirus outbreak in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) was established.

The center aims to monitor and manage the measures against the virus in military units and headquarters.

The armed forces are also producing medical masks and sanitizers, Akar said. “We aim to meet the needs of not only the Turkish Armed Forces but all of our people by increasing the production.”

The Turkish government has been extending its measures against the novel coronavirus outbreak, from suspended flights and limited work hours to more stringent disinfection works.

As part of new measures, Turkey started to provide free-of-charge public transportation services for the health workers.

According to a presidential decree published on the Official Gazette on March 24, the medics will now be able to use public transportation and public social facilities without paying any fees.

The decree includes all healthcare personnel working in institutions and organizations both in the public and private sector, municipalities and their affiliated institutions, as well as enterprises.

The workers can use public transportation services run by municipalities and subsidiaries such as Başkentray, Marmaray and İzban, free-of-charge until May 31.

They will also be able to avail public social facilities until the end of May, without any payment.