TURES President Ramazan Bingol said, “We hope that restaurants will be opened on Monday in provinces with low risk and in the blue category. We expect good news from our President on Monday.”
Ramazan Bingol, President of All Restaurants and Tourism Association (TURES), who met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya and conveyed the demands of the sector, finally met with Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca in Ankara.
Speaking to the AA correspondent about the talks, Bingol stated that they have recently conveyed the problems and demands of the sector to the Minister of Health, Koca, “I guess that on Monday, on March 1, our President will give good news about some places.”
Expressing that “the other parties listened to the problems of the sector in detail and were not indifferent to the problems” in all their meetings, Bingol said that they expect some of their suggestions to be implemented.
Bingol, “We hope that restaurants will open from Monday in provinces with low risk and in the blue category. Our impression is positive. We expect good news from our President on Monday.”
50% capacity and recommendation to vaccinate sector employees
Ramazan Bingol, referring to the demands they expressed in their meetings with the Governor of Istanbul Yerlikaya and the Minister of Health Koca, stated that they wanted the restaurants to be opened as of March 1.
Expressing that a 50% capacity rule can be set in the first place, Bingol called for the strictest implementation of the hygiene rules and the closure of those who do not comply with the measures if necessary.
Noting that customers should be accepted to restaurants with the HES code, Bingol made the following statements:
“In terms of opening, priority can be given to restaurants that have received the TSE Covid-19 Safe Operation Certificate, which shows that epidemic measures have been taken in cooperation with the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) and TURES. In order to minimize the risk of contamination, priority should be given to vaccination to food and beverage sector employees. Attention should be paid to the social distance between the tables, and those who do not comply should be given heavy penalties. The curfew should be extended to 22:30 on weekdays. Weekend restrictions should be stretched within certain hours.”
Bingol added that opening up, albeit partially, would relieve the sector.
Source: AA / Translated by Irem Yildiz