Turkish Aid Campaign
Economically, the Turkish government announced various measures in easing the financial burden on businesses. The government initiated fiscal reforms by announcing the lowering of the repo rate of borrowing from 9.75% at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, 8.75% in April before further lowering the rate to 8.25% in May. The Central government initiated the increase of money supply from 2.15 trillion Lira to 2.95 trillion Lira. The government reduced the interest rate by 23.25% and reduced the balance of payments by 1.53%. The Turkish government directly supported its citizens by offering 1000 lira to over 5.5 million families. The government created unemployment fund that made cash payment of 730 Lira and offered temporal working allowance of 441 Lira as bonus. The central government issued aid campaign to support local municipalities during the pandemic. The objective of the aid campaign was to increase residential contributions towards municipalities during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Socially, the Turkish society saw drastic changes to the way people relate to each other. First, the implementation of remote working initiatives aimed at reducing in-person contact became prevalent in both public and the private sector. Parents spent more time at home than before due to the remote working. School children began to learn remotely with the assistance of parents. For instance, children began learning via Zoom and Skype classes. The role of women in the home remained the same although the husband was at home most of the time during the pandemic. The initiatives aimed at combating the disease such as wearing of masks and sanitization became part of the Turkish culture. Turkish citizens accepted that wearing of masks was crucial in limiting the spread of the disease within their communities. Moreover, the Turkish people altered their perception on the importance of maintaining proper hand hygiene.
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