It took effect at 4pm GMT (12pm EDT) and will last until May 17 amid soaring Covid-19 cases and deaths. The Turkish government had previously opted for partial lockdowns or weekend curfews in a bid to reduce the economic impact. It comes as public health experts urge UEFA to not allow thousands of fans to travel across Europe to attend the Champions Leagues final in Istanbul, where Covid cases are sky high. A view of a traffic jam before total lockdown in Istanbul, Turkey. Erdogan said daily confirmed cases would have to rapidly drop below 5,000 for Turkey 'to not be left behind' as many European countries start reopening.

Source: Daily Mail April 29, 2021 23:07 UTC