Turkey evacuates over 2,000 expats worldwide amid virus

ANKARA/KAYSERI, Turkey

Turkey evacuated 2,043 citizens Tuesday from all over the world amid the coronavirus pandemic.

At the instruction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, Turkey decided to bring back nearly 25,000 citizens before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

A specially arranged Turkish Airlines flight left London and arrived in Istanbul in the evening.

Following health checks, 349 citizens were sent to Kocaeli province to be quarantined at a student dormitory.

Meanwhile, Turkey also brought home 750 Turkish citizens from Germany.

After one of the flights arrived in Kayseri province, 232 citizens were transferred to Nigde province to be quarantined at a dormitory.

Another 285 expats were brought back to the capital Ankara and sent to a student dormitory in Yozgat province for quarantine.

Others also arrived in Sivas province and were placed under quarantine following a medical checkup at the airport.

As part of the same measures, the country also brought back 107 Turkish students from the Czech Republic. A Turkish Airlines flight carrying them arrived in Ankara.

The students were transferred to Karabuk province for quarantine.

In addition, 89 Turkish citizens in Romania were brought to the capital Ankara. After health checks, they were sent to Duzce province for quarantine.

Also, 125 expats were brought back to Bingol province from Hungary and sent to a student dormitory for quarantine.

The citizens thanked President Erdogan, Vice President Fuat Oktay and Foreign Ministry staff for this opportunity.

Some 328 Turkish citizens from Belgium also arrived in Trabzon province.

Following a medical checkup at the airport, 78 expats were placed under quarantine at a student dormitory in Trabzon and others were sent to Gumushane province for quarantine.

Another 38 citizens from Israel and Palestine embarked on a Turkish Airlines flight at 10.50 p.m. (1950GMT), Tolga Budak, Turkey's charge d'affaires in Tel Aviv, told Anadolu Agency.

The citizens, who arrived in the capital Ankara, were placed under quarantine at a student dormitory.

Some 154 citizens from Bangladesh were brought back to Konya province and sent to a student dormitory for quarantine.

Also, 103 expats were brought back to Usak province from Kosovo and sent to a student dormitory for quarantine.

On Tuesday, Turkey confirmed 119 more deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the country’s death toll to 2,259.

Since appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions.

Data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections have passed 2.56 million, with the death toll nearly 177,000, while nearly 680,000 people have recovered.