Minister of Health, Dr. Fahrettin Koca, delivered a statement at the press conference following the Coronavirus Scientific Committee meeting.
In his speech, Koca noted that a new phase had started as of June 1 and that Turkey was moving slowly into a new lifestyle.
"Being reckless is to assume that the threat is gone. We need measures because the threat is still out there", said Koca and added that the normalization period was of utmost importance.
"Complying with the measures will improve Turkey's welfare"
Noting that compliance with measures was not only about protecting health or containing the spread of the virus, Koca said, "Complying with the measures also means improving Turkey's welfare and allowing institutions and people in charge to do their jobs. It means supporting the acceleration of production. It means allowing for the normalization of education."
Pointing out that there were specific challenges we were facing, Koca said, "There are three challenges we are facing during these times. First, is the misconception that the pandemic is over. The second one is falling for our success in treatment and forgetting about the severity of the disease. And the third one is having the people in the risk group to become lax. These three challenges are the test of these days. We must pass this test. We must not forget that we are not going back to normal, but we are just trying to go back to normal in a planned way."
Noting that both mask and physical distance rules must be followed and that following only one would not be protective, Koca added,"Wearing a mask should not be an excuse to not keep social distance. Arrangements to make it easier for us to keep social distance were introduced by the ministries in line with the guide of the Scientific Committee. I would like to ask you to notify relevant authorities on public areas where social distancing cannot be practiced. We can only get closer to the way of living that we miss by complying with these measures without compromising."
"We should not refer to hospitals unless we have to"
Adding that the normalization period brought about important consequences for healthcare services, Koca said, "Hospitals are going back to their regular working arrangements. Clinics will start caring for more patients and give appointments for postponed treatments. We have also published a guide for this matter for the hospitals and healthcare personnel. All rules and measures will be followed."
I would like to add that we should not refer to hospitals unless we have to", said Minister Koca and continued, "Because we all know that hospitals are high-risk areas. We have made the necessary arrangements to make sure that people can made appointments through the online system and not create crowds at hospitals."
© 2025 Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health All rights reserved.
