Distressed father in Turkish Cyprus brought back amid virus

LEFKOŞA- Anadolu Agency

A Turkish national working in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) whose son was hospitalized due to an accident in eastern Turkey requested permission to travel back amid coronavirus travel restrictions.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered the plea of Ali Çelik, who will return to Turkey on May 6 night by sea to reunite with his son currently in the province of Gaziantep.

"I am very grateful to my country and President Erdoğan for hearing my plea. I thank him and our Foreign Ministry for bringing me home," said Çelik.

The family's troubles began when Çelik's son suffered an accident on April 16.

Çelik believed that if he could make his voice heard, his country would support him.

"My child is in the ICU right now. His situation is slightly better. We're awaiting the day he wakes up," he said.

Çelik had been working as a construction worker in the TRNC, going back and forth between Turkey and Northern Cyprus. The last time he entered the TRNC was February 23.

When air and sea travel was banned due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, he could no longer make his way home.