Turkish official urges 'global thinking' amid reopening

WASHINGTON

The reopening of countries amid the coronavirus pandemic should take place in a synchronized fashion, Turkey’s presidential spokesman said Tuesday, calling for "global thinking" in opening up economies worldwide.

Speaking during a webinar held by the Turkish American National Steering Committee, Ibrahim Kalin said governments should "seriously" consider the parameters and conditions of reopening.

His remarks came as some European countries and the US have begun opening up their economies with social distancing practices in place. But health experts have cautioned that the move may trigger a second wave of the disease.

"We cannot keep closed forever, and the system has to function one way or another, and this has to be done with serious concern over public health, with consideration to make sure that the pandemic does not come back.

"After the coronavirus, the new normal will be different from what was the normal before," said Kalin.

Reopening requires "global thinking, consultation and cooperation" and there must be a "synchronizing" among countries while opening up, he said.

"If the United States opens up and others do not, or vice or versa, you have a disequilibrium in the system because everything is interconnected.”

Kalin said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in ongoing talks with world leaders to discuss how they reopen, what their measures are and what has been the practice during this process.

"It's been a very robust learning process for everyone. We are learning new things. It will be a dynamic process as we open up," he said.

"The balance between reopening and keeping human life safe will be a common trait of not only a few months ahead of us but over the years, perhaps decades to come," he added.

The pandemic has forced more than 180 countries to enforce harsh restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 5.5 million people worldwide with over 348,000 deaths.

Millions of people have lost their jobs as local and regional businesses have shut down over coronavirus fears.