Turkey gives green light to sports events with spectators

As part of normalization measures amid falling COVID-19 numbers, Turkey is set to open up sporting events with careful safety measures to limited numbers of fans.

Sports matches in Turkey can be held with limited number of fans and COVID-19 safety measures, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters on Tuesday.

In March 2020, as the virus was taking hold, Turkey barred fans from all nationwide sporting events to stem the virus' spread.

In the 2020-21 season, no fans were allowed to watch sports matches in Turkish venues.

Amid a nationwide fall in virus cases, Turkey is set to end all virus-related restrictions starting this Thursday.

The number of people fully vaccinated against the virus in Turkey passed the 15 million mark on Tuesday, said official data.

Turkey, a country of some 84 million people, has administered nearly 48.9 million doses of vaccine, and more than 33.89 million people have gotten at least one dose of the jab since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in January.