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Critics say Erdogan used pandemic to kill Turkey’s nightlife

Many out-of-work veterans of Turkey's once thriving entertainment world suspect the ruling party of using COVID-19 restrictions to enforce a more conservative lifestyle.
Faruk Ugur waits for customers while selling hot wine at the entrance to his closed restaurant in the Kadikoy district on February 23, 2021 in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Ankara's Kizilay Square, located at the heart of the capital and once a lively neighborhood filled with bars, taverns and restaurants, is in its darkest hour. The chatter is gone from the spots favored by politicians and journalists, as are the cheers and laughter from bars and taverns, and the neon lights of nearby gentlemen's clubs have gone dark.

In the 15th month of the pandemic, only small cafes and a few pubs have been able to survive in this once vivacious neighborhood where the windows of the bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues are filled with signs reading “for rent.”

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