President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced new economic supports to assist various sectors in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, as well the Turkish government's plans to provide financial assistance to small businesses most affected by the pandemic.
Accordingly, the Turkish government will grant TRY 4.6 billion cash support to over 1.38 million tradespeople in two groups and with no repayment.
In the first group, 235,000 businesses including cafes, restaurants, stores, and workshops will receive a one-time grant of TL 5,000 each. In the second group, one million 150,000 small businesses including musicians, car washes, shoemakers, tailors, marketers, barbers are due to receive a one-off grant of TL 3,000, each.
“COVID-19 infections in Türkiye have been brought under control thanks to the partial and full lockdown measures during May. We hope that from now on, there will be no need for measures as extensive and restrictive as before," said President Erdoğan.
As the number of coronavirus infections in Türkiye has dropped over 70 percent after the recent 17-day full lockdown, Türkiye began its gradual normalization.