Turkey plans to extend weekend curfew in 31 provinces to 4 days starting from Thursday

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said a four-day lockdown would be imposed in 31 cities from April 23 as part of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Turkey imposed lockdowns in 31 cities over the past two weekends.

Erdoğan said the lockdown would be longer this time due to a national holiday that falls on Thursday, April 23, adding that weekend lockdowns could continue "for some time".

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Erdoğan said Turkey aims to bring the outbreak to a level that would allow for a normalization of life after the Eid al-Fitr religious holiday at the end of May, adding that steps could be taken before that.