36.6 Overall Score

Turkey

Data as of Aug 1
Next 》

53.8 Public Health
Directives
17.9 Financial
Response
40 Fact-Based
Communication

53.8 Public Health
Directives
17.9 Financial
Response
40 Fact-Based
Communication

Turkey has very weak policy, driven by little emergency spending, stimulus, or debt relief, and loosening restrictions. It also has limited press freedom and has conducted minimal testing.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Turkey has a universal healthcare system but few doctors available, limiting healthcare access; limited wealth and low numbers of hospital beds left it poorly prepared for the pandemic, bringing its score down to the median.

Debt/GDP ratio 30.2%
GDP/capita $29,327
Gini coefficient (out of 100) 41.9
Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 9
Healthcare access score (out of 100) 76.2
Hospital beds/1,000 People 19

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Aug 1.)

53.8

Public Health Directives

Turkey has a median public health policy score, the drop in score driven by few restrictions on public gatherings, low testing levels, and no emergency healthcare spending.

Stay at home order 1
Public gathering restrictions 0
School closings 0
Public event cancellations 1
Testing policy 0
Emergency healthcare investments/capita $0.00
Travel restrictions 2
Tests/1,000 people 0.6
Contact tracing 2

17.9

Financial Response

Turkey’s financial response was very limited, with a small stimulus package and very weak debt policy.

Financial stimulus as share of GDP 3.8%
Income support 2
Debt forebearance 2

Fact-Based Communication

Turkey’s government is at the median in this category, because while it has not engaged in misinformation, it has limited press freedom as much as any country in the Index in response to COVID-19.

Reliance on science/fact based information 0
Press freedom 3

COVID-19 Status as of Aug 1

Turkey has a relatively strong performance in this category, with a low death rate and very low positivity score, though its press limitations raise concerns about the government’s accountability for these numbers.

Total deaths 5,691
Death rate per 100K 67.5
Total cases 230,873
Cases per 100K 2,737
Percent of positive tests 1.9

Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown Level 2 Lockdown Level 3 Lockdown

	Date	Status	New Cases/1M
1	May 11	Some retail shops reopen	21.36
2	Jun 01	Travel restrictions among 15 major cities are lifted; restaurants, sporting facilities, and government institutions reopen; domestic flights resume	12.05
3	Jun 10	Curfews on those between ages 18 and 65 ease; opening times for restaurants and similar businesses are extended	11.11
4	Jun 12	Reopen all land borders, exept with Iiran	11.20
5	Jun 15	Mandate face masks, implement limited weekend curfews	13.73

Differentiating Factors

Doctor shortages due to blacklists impacting response: Turkey has a universal healthcare system, but a very low number of doctors per capita, which has limited its ability to treat coronavirus patients and proactively contain the virus. The low number of doctors is due in large part to a mass blacklisting of healthcare professionals and civil servants in 2016, which included the country's top coronavirus expert. Read More
Relief package supporting 5 million low-income people: In March, the government launched an Economic Stability Shield relief package which is reported to have supported 5 million low income families. Read More
Exports down substantially: Despite exporting over $573 million worth of PPE and masks in the first six months of the year, Turkey's overall exports have shrunk by nearly 20 percent, raising concerns over the health of the economy. Read More

Compared with Other NATO Members

47.4
Belgium 70,281
Cases 6,064
Per 1M 9,709
Deaths

Belgium has a relative strong score, with its generous income support and strong testing and contact tracing countered by limited public health directives.
71.9
Norway 9,208
Cases 1,699
Per 1M 255
Deaths

Norway scores just below the median, pulled down by its weak public health and financial response scores, despite a strong reliance on facts and a free press.

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Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

Debt to GDP ratio
Infant mortality rates
Hospital beds per 1,000 people
Gini coefficients measuring inequality
Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

Stay-at home orders
School-closing policy
Public-gathering restrictions
Cancellation of public events
Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
Emergency healthcare spending per capita
Travel restrictions
Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

Stimulus package as a share of GDP
Income support
Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

Instances of misinformation by leadership
Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

Death rates per 1 million
Case rates per 1 million