Daughter of north Cyprus civil aviation chief attempts to escape quarantine in Turkey

Reactions mounted in Turkey after the daughter of the chief of civil aviation in north Cyprus attempted with the help of Turkish police to escape from a bus transferring arrivals from abroad to quarantine premises.

According to the Cyprus News Agency on Wednesday, the daughter of the chief of civil aviation in north Cyprus had flown from France to Turkey, where she was due to spend 14 days in quarantine, as per the coronavirus protection measures adopted by Turkey.

Footage captured by a person also on the bus that would transfer the arrivals to quarantine premises showed the girl attempting to make a run for it with the help of Turkish police.

The footage, uploaded on social media, caused a wave of reactions across Turkey, with one Turkish state prosecutor based in Istanbul launching a probe into the matter.

Commenting on the escape attempt, Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said the girl will remain in quarantine for 14 days before being allowed to travel to north Cyprus.

“This is an unacceptable violation,” Soylu said. “No one is granted privileges.”

Confirmed coronavirus cases rise to 20 in the north

Late on Tuesday night, Turkish Cypriot media reported that 13 more people had been infected with coronavirus, all of which were part of a group of some 30 tourists who had flown to the north from Germany’s Balingen.

All 13 had already been placed in quarantine at the locked down Salamis Bay Conti Hotel in north Famagusta.

The new cases raised the total confirmed cases in the north to 20, including 18 German tourists and two Turkish Cypriots who had travelled to the UK.

The condition of all confirmed cases has been deemed not threatening.