Erdoğan signals 'coercive' methods for coronavirus vaccination

"Read, think, apply, conclude" - R.T. Erdoğan (Photo: AA)

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on the people to get vaccinated for Covid-19.

"The total number of doses administered in the vaccination efforts that we continue on a voluntary basis is approaching the 100 million limit. I call on all my citizens, especially our education community and parents, to get vaccinated," Erdoğan said during a visit to a high school in İstanbul.

"As the state, we never want to resort to coercive methods in this regard. However, it is imperative that we evaluate the possibility of vaccination, which is our most effective protective weapon against the pandemic.

The president also called on the people not to give credence to anti-vaccination propaganda on social media.

"Our people shouldn't give credence to the information pollution that spreads on social media. Preventing the pandemic from spreading depends on all of us, especially our students, teachers and parents, to comply with the measures.

Schools opened in the country today with several measures, including mandatory PCR tests for unvaccinated personnel. Turkey started full-time in-person classes for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

"With the digital infrastructure we have set up at the Ministry of National Education, we are closely following the processes at our schools and the progress of the disease," said Erdoğan. "We are determined to continue face-to-face education."

Turkey has administered 97.8 million vaccine jabs with 61.7 percent of the adult population fully vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health. (AS/VK)