Turkey has successfully managed the course of the novel coronavirus pandemic and is nearing the end of the outbreak, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday.
“The initial outcome of the normalization phase shows that we are on the right track,” Erdoğan said in remarks for Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
Addressing the members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) via video link, Erdoğan thanked the public for staying at home during a four-day curfew over the holiday.
Turkey imposed a four-day nationwide curfew during Eid al-Fitr beginning at midnight on Friday to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has claimed over 4,300 lives in the country.
Praising Turkey’s health sector investments, Erdoğan asserted that these had turned out to be prudent in the fight against the coronavirus.
“I believe we will overcome this pandemic with the least damage through this [new normal] lifestyle, which we can summarize as wearing masks, compliance with physical distancing and attention to cleanliness,” Erdoğan added.