2 million jobless as coronavirus batters Turkish economy, opposition leader says
Turkey's president is facing pressure from the opposition to impose a nationwide lockdown.
More than 2 million people are out of a job in Turkey, the country’s main opposition party said Friday, with hundreds of thousands of businesses shuttered across the country due to the coronavirus.
“They had to start a campaign to keep people home. This current campaign has only led to one thing: unemployment," Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said in an interview Friday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come under fire for seemingly prioritizing the economic health of companies and banks over households. Last month, he announced an economic stimulus package of 100 billion liras ($15 billion), mostly aimed at keeping affected businesses afloat.
To provide for low-income citizens, Erdogan on Monday launched a national fundraising campaign, which the government said has raised nearly 82.4 million liras as of Thursday.
