Turkey: 138,000 quarantined amid coronavirus outbreak

ANKARA

Turkey has quarantined a total of 138,000 citizens nationwide as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the country's interior minister said Thursday.

Of these, 122,500 are quarantined at 180 locations nationwide, while the others are staying in dormitories, said Suleyman Soylu.

He said 85%-90% of the public was isolating themselves on weekdays across major cities.

Penalties were imposed on 26,000 people who violated the lockdown orders, he said.

Soylu added that 10 million masks were being distributed daily and the same amount was being produced, noting they are hoping to increase production to 20 million units shortly.

Turkey confirmed Thursday that 96 more people in the country had died from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 908.

The total number of confirmed cases surged to 42,282 as 4,056 more people tested positive for the virus, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

A total of 2,142 people have recovered and were discharged from hospitals.

- 'Terrorists will regret attacking civilians'

Touching on the killing of five villagers in southeastern Turkey on Wednesday by YPG/PKK terrorists, Soylu said operations against them were ongoing.

He noted that the country has carried out 22,000 operations since the beginning of this year to fight terrorism.

He warned that whoever carried out the attack would regret it.

At least five people have been arrested over alleged links to the attack, said security sources.

YPG/PKK terrorists planted a roadside bomb that exploded when a vehicle carrying forest workers passed through.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.