Week 40 in Turkey see temperatures drop and hopes rise

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy


Gul - Aegean Coast, Turkey



 Another week has passed but I have no good news to report. It’s been an extremely cold, very slow week. I just counted the days. 



 Not only the weather was cold outside, but also we couldn’t warm the house either. The wind was howling outside and every time the wind blew you could feel it. A slow warm-up is ahead this week, one positive note. 



 As this is our first winter living on the coast and I think we’ve learned a few things since last weekend. Expect the unexpected and preparation is the key. 



 The days are getting shorter, the sun is less warm... I really can’t stand winter. I am definitely a summer person. When I remember the long winter in England, I say I’m glad I’m not there anymore. 




MASS VACCINATION

 More than 1 million people had received their first doses of COVID vaccination in Turkey. Health care workers were the first then nationwide vaccination began for the residents and staff of nursing homes and over 85 years olds. 




 We will only have CoronaVac, developed by China’s Sinovac, and only 3 million doses of CoronaVac arrived in the country. 



 We only need 130 million doses more!



There are rumors that Turkey is extraditing Uighur Muslims to China in exchange for COVID vaccines. Is the world becoming crueler? 



 While new cases are increasing all over Europe, the situation is quite under control in Turkey with strict restrictions. 



 Life has become really intolerable for some people, especially for under the 20s and over 65s who are only allowed to go out at certain times of the day for three hours. 



 They’re also restricted from all public transports. Hard times for the old and young. 



CODE FOR LIVING

 The Ministry of Health introduced a code through a mobile app for everybody to minimize the risks we may encounter in daily life. 



 Even if you travel by public transport or a private vehicle or booking a flight you need to use your HES code. All public offices, hospitals, workplaces, institutions ask for your code too. 




POLITICAL APPOINTMENT

 Students and academics at Bosphorus University, one of the best in Turkey protest the appointment of a state-approved rector with links to the ruling party. 



 Demonstrations at the university campus continue every day. While Erdogan called the protesting students ‘terrorists’, academics have joined in their robes for daily silent protests outside the rectorate. 



 Still, Bulu has refused to step down. Students continued protesting on campus singing ‘master of puppets’ outside his office after he told them that he was a Metallica fan. 



“I actually see Bulu’s appointment as an attempt to ‘conquer’ this university that has been known for its strong engagement in university governance and ethical principles, even as Turkey became a more and more autocratic regime,” said Esra Mungan, a Boğaziçi professor of psychology. I joined social media campaigns to support the protest. Let’s hope he’ll resign soon.


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