Grand Bazaar opens, flights resume as Turkey eases Covid-19 curbs

Flights and car travel resumed between Turkey's big cities on Monday while cafes, restaurants, and Istanbul's iconic Grand Bazaar reopened in the country's biggest step to ease restrictions taken to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Traffic levels jumped in the commercial hub of Istanbul, with many Turks returning to work as the government sought to revive an economy hit hard by the pandemic. 

Employees of government offices and public facilities joined the many factory workers who restarted last month. 

The Covid-19 infection has killed more than 4,500 and infected more than 160,000 in Turkey, though new daily cases and deaths are down.

Masked shopkeepers opened and cleaned their stores at the Grand Bazaar, which media reports said was the scene of one of the first virus outbreaks in March. 

A key tourist destination, the sprawling covered market was closed for more than two months.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has slowly removed some restrictions in recent weeks and authorities say the outbreak is under control. 

'Measures in place for air travel'

All preventive health measures necessary for air travel are in place, Turkey's transport and infrastructure minister said on Monday as the country resumed domestic flights in line with the normalisation plan amid a decline in coronavirus numbers.

Speaking at a ceremony before the first commercial flight in months from Istanbul left for capital Ankara, Adil Karaismailoglu said important steps were taken by the government in order to return to normal days with respect to the road, rail, and air travel.

"For the past month, we have been working hard to make the necessary preparations for the airports," he said, adding that an airport certification programme has been launched in line with guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.

Covid-19 certification for airports

Airports taking preventive health measures will document their status by getting a certification, he added.

The certificate includes not only the airport and terminal operators and ground handling companies, but also the transportation vehicles that bring passengers to the airport, and the necessary measures to be taken by each institution and organisation, including passengers.

The certification process of six airports — Istanbul, Sabiha Gokcen, Esenboga, Izmir Adnan Menderes, Antalya, and Trabzon — has been completed thus far, the minister added.

"Starting today, we are moving to a new period of physical distancing at all stages of the journey, from entry to airports to exit at the destination," Karaismailoglu said.

He said that wearing masks, full compliance with social distancing, taking personal and institutional hygiene measures, and employing protective equipment are the four elements the government will never compromise at airports against the pandemic.

"We share the measures we take at our airports with all countries. Our negotiations and efforts to restart international flights continue," he concluded.

Economy

International flights are expected to start next week. Shares of Turkish airports and carriers including Turkish Airlines rose.

Parks, gyms, beaches, libraries, and museums also reopened, including in Istanbul, the centre of Turkey's outbreak.

Economic activity took a nosedive beginning in March and it is unclear how badly Turkey's key tourism sector will suffer this summer. 

Some provinces, including Istanbul, were still subject to weekend lockdowns this past weekend.

A survey showed on Monday that manufacturing activity continued to contract sharply in May, though at a slower pace than in April, with output and new orders shrinking again and companies decreasing employment and purchasing.