ANKARA – Turkey’s president has rejected the resignation of the country's interior minister who took responsibility for a poorly timed announcement of a weekend lockdown that prompted thousands of people to rush into the streets to stock up on supplies.
The 48-hour lockdowns across 31 cities — which were aimed to contain the spread of the coronavirus — were announced just two hours before taking effect on Friday night.
Thousands of people rushed into the streets to stock up on goods, many without wearing mandatory face masks. Images of large, closely-bunched crowds sparked criticism of the government’s planning for to top the coronavirus.