COVID-19 cases increase among Turkish politicians

ANKARA

As the number of novel coronavirus cases surges across Turkey, where a rapid increase is seen particularly in the capital Ankara, several politicians have got infected as well.

Former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım last week announced that he and his wife had contracted the novel coronavirus. Yıldırım tweeted that he and his wife, Semiha Yıldırım, got tested at the Ankara City Hospital due to a general feeling of discomfort. He said that although the results came positive, their condition is stable, and the doctors have advised them to quarantine at home.

On Aug. 17, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek announced that he had tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and he had been taken to an intensive care unit recently.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Spokesperson Faik Öztrak on Sept. 9 announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Öztrak tweeted that his health condition was currently in a good state.

“I recently learned the result of my test. I am fine but will work from home for a couple of weeks,” Öztrak wrote on his Twitter account. “I ask everyone who was near me without masks to get tested,” he said.

Ali Babacan, Turkey’s former deputy prime minister and founder of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), also announced he tested positive and is under treatment in hospital.

“Today is our eighth day with COVID-19,” Babacan said on Sept. 1. “I’m doing okay overall but I still have some symptoms. I will be in hospital for close observation until my medication treatment is over.”

On Sept. 7, CHP Vice President Onursal Adıgüzel also announced that his coronavirus test was positive.

Bülent Arınç, a former parliament speaker and currently a member of the Presidential High Advisory Board (YİK), on Sept. 10 announced that he and his wife had been tested positive for the coronavirus.

“Today, we learned that our test results were positive after examinations carried out in hospital with the suspicion of coronavirus. We are in good health at the moment. At this stage, our treatment will continue at home under a doctor’s supervision,” he tweeted.