Ankara cracks down on efforts by medical groups, opposition to address pandemic
Complaining of a lack of transparency, the Turkish Medical Association began publishing its own figures tracking the virus' spread Tuesday to the displeasure of the government, which has also halted donation drives initiated by opposition mayors.
ISTANBUL — As countries around the world try to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, medical groups and opposition figures in Turkey are finding the limits of their operating space as Ankara works on a centralized national response.
Health professionals told Al-Monitor that conflicting interests between state and local actors may put additional strain on efforts to contain COVID-19 in Turkey, where 13,531 cases have been recorded and 214 patients have died as of Tuesday evening.
