The Turkish Interior Ministry announced that PCR tests would not be asked from visitors arriving from abroad starting on Wednesday.
It is the latest step Turkey took to ease restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, which sharply receded this spring. It lifts the requirement of having a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before entry to the country at most and a negative rapid antigen test conducted at a maximum of 48 hours before entry.
The ministry said rules and measures against the pandemic were being determined based on “global developments” on the course of the pandemic, citing an update on restrictions imposed on arrivals by land, sea and air on March 3, 2022. Back then, Turkey had lifted the quarantine rule for arrivals from abroad if they had PCR tests or recovered from the disease within the past six months or got vaccinated with at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, if they arrived on flights. No test results or vaccine/recovery documents were asked from land and sea travelers.
Earlier, Turkey removed one of the two remaining protective mask mandates, allowing citizens to board mass transit without masks while they will remain compulsory for hospitals.
