The Turkish lira has fallen to its lowest level since 2018. Due to the corona crisis, the central banks have repeatedly adjusted the key interest rate. Erdogan's government is reaching its limits.
- The measures against the coronavirus pandemic * cut a swath across the world's economic systems .
- The economic consequences in Turkey are catastrophic. The Erdogan government's scope for action is limited.
- The country was stricken before. The Turkish lira is now on a critical downward slide.
- Here you will find the basic facts about the coronavirus *. You can also see the current number of cases in Germany as a map * and the current developments in Germany *. The most important thing about the topic is also on our Facebook page Corona News.
Update from May 8, 4.35 p.m .:
The first
Sars CoV-2 infection
was officially reported in Turkey on March 17. Bülent Mumay reports from Istanbul in a letter to the
FAZ
. The first death due to infection with the
Corona virus
there was officially on March 17th. Several dubious deaths are said to indicate that the virus had already entered Turkey before this data.
According to Mumay's description, the commander in chief of the land forces, Aytaç Yalman, had died before the reported cases. His funeral was kept secret from the public, but was later known in the column of an opposition journalist. The commandant's wife also died. Doctor and bodyguard Yalmans had to be treated for Covid 19 disease.
The situation in Turkey is particularly precarious because the last economic crisis in summer 2018 has hardly been overcome. Economically, the Erdogan government has little scope to deal with the economic consequences of the pandemic. This could also explain why the government refused to call a long-term lockdown. In several cities, curfews were repeatedly extended for a few days. Citizens were asked to stay at home. Critics who called for more cautious measures were called traitors.
To curb the protest movement, the Erdogan government has promised free masks to the population , reports Mumay. Erdogan himself had therefore stepped in front of the cameras and had explained: "We are determined to provide all our citizens with free masks."
So far, however, most citizens have waited in vain. The Turkish president recently said: "You can now buy masks at a fixed price."
Turkey: Covid-19 for homosexuals? Erdogan supports sinister thesis - "Corona-free zones" for summer vacation?
Update of May 4, 2020, 4:03 pm: The corona crisis is also hitting the economy in Turkey with full force. Even if the exact economic damage is not yet foreseeable at the moment, the country on the Bosphorus is clearly moving towards a recession. In order to keep the damage small, there are already plans in Turkey to revive a central pillar of the national economy : tourism .
Coronavirus: Tourism as an important industry - this is how the Turkish government wants to get tourists
As focus.de reports, holidaymakers in tourism regions should be able to return in the near future - at least if the government decides. "We have initiated a new project to certify corona- free zones," Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said in a TV interview. If everything goes according to plan, the first certificates could be issued by the end of May.
Then a gradual return of the tourists would be planned. Initially, only domestic tourists should be allowed to travel before international travelers can be received in a second phase. "If we have agreements with other countries, we will slowly start with international flights," said Ersoy. But there are also critical voices about the plans of the minister, who is accused of rash actions. Ankara tourism generated revenues of EUR 35 billion last year .
Update of May 2, 2020 9:54: In Turkey a cruel discussion on the relationship of the coronavirus with the homosexuality flared.
The president of the Turkish religious authority Diyanet Ali Erbas , who is known for his conservative interpretation of Islam, deliberately pillorized homosexuals in his first sermon on the month of Lent Ramadan by attributing the outbreak of the coronavirus to homosexuality and celibacy . "It rots the generation and brings disease". Islam curses homosexuality, according to the top Islamic scholar in Turkey.
The Ankara Bar Association then accused Erbas of degrading people and targeting them. The statement was also outraged by civil society groups, lawyers and secular politicians. Erbas committed a hate crime and opened the door to discrimination, the main tenor.
Coronavirus in Turkey: Human Rights Watch criticizes Erdogan and the government
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, stood behind Erbas and said that his statements were correct , but only binding on Muslims. Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül also defended Erbas. The senior public prosecutor's office in Ankara has meanwhile launched an investigation against the capital's bar association, among other things for the degradation of religious values.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) is now also calling on the government to end the branding of lesbians and gays. A statement released on Friday said: "The government of Turkey should ensure that all of its representatives refrain from comments that stigmatize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual people, as well as people living with HIV, and who take risks expose to be persecuted and attacked. "
HRW also criticized the support of the highest government circles for "hateful" statements. That is " extremely worrying ". In addition, the investigation against those who oppose such "homophobic statements by civil servants" should be dropped immediately, continued HRW.
Many people also accused Erbas in the online networks of causing discord in the middle of the corona pandemic. The Ankara Lawyers' Association accused Erbas of inciting hatred of lesbians and gays. The Diyanet Authority operates mosques in Turkey and appoints imams.
Homosexuality is not prohibited in Turkey. However, activists repeatedly complain of discrimination.
Corona virus: Turkish lira crashes dramatically - Erdogan threatens the worst
First report from April 29:
Istanbul - The Coronavirus Pandemic * has dramatic effects on affected countries. The economic damage * is not yet foreseeable. Experts agree that the 2008 financial crisis will be tougher.
In Turkey , the consequences are already evident. The country was previously badly hit financially - due to political disputes with the United States.
Corona virus: Turkish lira crashes dramatically - Erdogan threatens the worst
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regularly imposed curfews for a few days in the 31 cities affected, including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, in the wake of the Corona crisis. For weeks he had only imposed this restriction for 48 hours. Finally expanded to a three-day cycle.
The Turkish lira is meanwhile under massive pressure after numerous interest rate cuts by the Turkish central bank. On Tuesday, up to 7.62 lira was temporarily paid for one euro. This was the last amount that had to be paid for a euro in late summer 2018, when violent currency turmoil as a result of a conflict between Turkey and the United States caused the Turkish currency to plummet to a record low .
Coronavirus in Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
© AFP / FETHI BELAID
Corona crisis in Turkey: scope for measures in the corona crisis is severely limited
In August 2018, the record price of 8.12 lira was paid for one euro. Since then, the Turkish currency has tended to be under pressure. The lira exchange rate also approached the 2018 low on Tuesday in trading in the US dollar . In the afternoon, a dollar was temporarily traded for just under 7 lira. The price was thus just below the record level of 7.23 lira, which was temporarily paid for one dollar in August 2018.
Market observers also point to a tight household situation . This limits the government's measures in the corona crisis. The Turkish central bank recently cut interest rates again. The key interest rate had been reduced by 1.0 percentage point to 8.75 percent last week. It was the eighth rate cut since last summer when the base rate was still 24.0 percent.
Turkey hit by Corona: The Erdogan government's room for maneuver is limited
The Erdogan government's market policy room for maneuver is slowly reaching its limits. Even more: Experts see Turkish monetary policy on a risky path. On the one hand, the effects of the corona crisis and weaker inflation due to the low oil prices speak for lower interest rates. On the other hand, key interest rates have long been well below the inflation rate.
The lack of economic power also has unexpected consequences. So dolphins find their way to the Bosphorus again and again.
Dolphins on the Bosphorus. ❤️
After driving and fishing bans in the course of combating the corona virus , the animals can be seen again. # Turkey #Istanbul pic.twitter.com/s3BCzpYlSq
Dieter Nuhr (ARD): On Twitter viewers are annoyed about the comedian. He draws tasteless comparisons over Angela Merkel and Christian Drosten.
nai / dpa
