Erdoğan on New Year’s celebrations: Parties won’t be tolerated

New Year's restrictions in Turkey

Sending a circular letter to the governor's offices to restrict New Year's programs of hotels and accommodation facilities amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Interior announced on December 21 that celebrations would not be allowed in hotels and accommodation facilities during the New Year's curfew.

Published on the official website of the Ministry as well, the circular has noted that music and other performances will also not be allowed in hotels and accommodation facilities after 10 p.m. on days of the curfew.

As reported by the state-run AA, the necessary measures will be taken to ensure that customers staying at hotels and accommodation facilities do not come together in crowds. "A particular attention will be paid to this issue especially at meal times," the circular has underlined.

While the law enforcement officers will be inspecting whether these restrictions are observed or not during the curfew, an administrative action will be taken as per the relevant articles of the Law on Public Health and Law for Encouragement of Tourism in the event of a violation and a legal action will be taken as per the Article 195 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), if the related action of a person is considered to constitute a crime.

4-day curfew over New Year's

President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also addressed the reporters following the Cabinet meeting in the capital city of Ankara on December 14.

Erdoğan announced that as a measure to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Turkey would have a countrywide curfew spanning the New Year's holiday, from December 31 to early January 4.

In addition to ongoing public health measures, the holiday lockdown would last from 9 p.m. on December 31 to 5 a.m. on January 4, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told reporters after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.