ANKARA, Turkey—People in Turkey stocked up on groceries, filled markets and left cities for their hometowns or the southern coast Thursday before the country entered its strictest lockdown of the pandemic.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan imposed a “full lockdown” that took effect at 1600 GMT (12 p.m. EDT) and will last until May 17 amid soaring COVID-19 cases and deaths. It is the first nationwide lockdown lasting nearly three weeks. The Turkish government had previously opted for partial lockdowns or weekend curfews in a bid to reduce the economic impact.
