Turkey to issue £100 fines to tourists caught not wearing face masks on holiday

Turkey will be introducing strict fines to anyone caught not wearing a mask and they are pretty hefty. 

The fine comes in at 900 lira, around £104, and will be given to both tourists and nationals if they are caught not wearing a face-covering in public. This includes outdoor spaces as well as shops and restaurants. 

The first time someone is caught without a covering will be a warning while the second will result in the fine. 

The rules are currently in place across all 81 provinces in Turkey, including popular destinations like Istanbul, Ankara and Muğla, where Bodrum, Dalaman and Marmaris are.

Local media has said: “Wearing masks in public areas like squares, streets, parks, gardens, agricultural areas, public transport, and offices is compulsory as of June 3. Those who do not comply will be fined.”

There have been a worrying rise in coronavirus cases in Turkey, with 187,685 cases and 4,950 deaths overall.

A recent study showed that everyone wearing a mask would be twice as successful at reducing the R rate than if just those with symptoms wore a mask. 

The COVID-19 transmission rate without a mask is around 17.4%, this drops to just 3.1% with a face mask.

Despite this, flights to Turkey from the UK are beginning to resume. Some beach resorts in Turkey hope to have tourists this year after launching a new “Safe Tourism Certification” programme.

The programme will include new health and hygiene requirements at airlines, airports and accommodation.

Currently, Brits are advised to avoid non-essential international travel, however, Boris Johnson is expected to provide an update on this tonight.