Stranded in Algeria due to pandemic, dozens of people from Turkey await a rescue flight

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Algeria

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Stranded in Algeria due to travel restrictions amid novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Turkey's dozens of citizens who are in Algeria to work are expecting Turkey's consulate to help them return.

A worker currently in Algeria tells bianet the following:

"Due to pandemic, Algeria has suspended flights to the world since March 18. It was said that the flights would resume as of July 1. However, the government of Algeria made a statement on June 28 and indicated that it would not be possible to leave or enter the country by land or sea.

"We, as the people of Turkey in Algeria, informed the consulate about our situation. We told them that we wanted to go back. But they have not been giving any attention to us for 10 days now.

"Several people catch the disease. We want a rescue flight as soon as possible. When we appealed to the consulate, they said, 'We had two flights before, why didn't you come then?' But we had not yet been done with our work. If we had left at that time, we could not have got our wages.

'We cannot go to hospital if we get sick'

"The consulate approaches our application with economic considerations. They told us that when the airplanes of the Turkish Airlines flied half empty, it meant an economic problem. When we insisted, they sent us a form. They registered us, but the forms have not been responded for 10 days.

"The disease is surging in Algeria day by day. If we get sick here, we cannot get treatment as we are not insured here. We are expecting support from the Consulate of Turkey. They have to take the citizens of Turkey out of here by organizing rescue flights. If we get sick, we cannot go to hospital."

Pandemic in Algeria

The first COVID-19 case was officially confirmed in Algeria on February 25, 2020. It was announced that a man from Italy who entered the country on February 17 had coronavirus. The government of Algeria sent the man back to Italy in a special flight.

As of July 7, 2020, 968 people have so far died of COVID-19 in Algeria while the total number of cases is 16,879. The number of recovered patients has been announced as 12,094. (EMK/SD)