Young people in Turkey have a relatively more negative view of the government’s move to reopen cafés, teahouses and restaurants aimed at normalization after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, according to a poll released on Monday by Ipsos.
Only 29 percent of the 18-25 age group said they approved of the decision, while this support was at 41 percent overall. The age group most favorable to the normalization plan was those aged between 46 and 55, according to the poll.
While Turkey’s official COVID-19 figures hit their lowest level at the beginning of June, new cases have been on an upward trajectory since the government lifted restriction on travel and businesses.
On the other hand, the economy has surpassed COVID-19 as the country’s most important problem for the first time since the start of the spread of the virus in the country in March, according to Ipsos. A total of 43 percent of participants pointed to the economy as their greatest concern, while those who said it was COVID-19 fell to 39 percent.
Nonetheless, eight out of 10 participants agreed that the outbreak posed a grave threat to the Turkish economy as well as to their personal finances.