Turkish confidence in government’s COVID-19 battle slides to 40 percent

Most Turkish people have no confidence in the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey.

Public approval of the governing Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) management of the crisis has declined to 40 percent from 73 percent in March last year, Hürriyet columnist Nuray Babacan said on Monday citing a January poll commissioned by the party. Forty-eight percent of respondents were against having an anti-viral jab, she said.

Only 24 percent of those polled said normal life in Turkey would resume within a year, down from 64 percent in May, Babacan said.

On Sunday, Turkey reported 112 daily deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the toll to 26,797 since the outbreak 11 months ago. The Health Ministry announced 6,670 new cases, increasing the total number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 to 2,531,456.

Babacan said 71 percent of respondents expected an economic crisis in the country, a rate unchanged since December. Sixty-four percent expected economic difficulties in their lives, an increase from 62 percent a month previously.