Ankara's failure to disclose asymptotic COVID-19 cases 'behind Germany's renewed travel warning'

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Germany extended its partial travel warning for Turkey to the whole country due to Ankara's failure to disclose its official data on asymptotic COVID-19 infections, Germany's leading news site Der Spiegel said, basing its report a spokesperson from the German Foreign Ministry.

Germany extends Turkey travel warning to whole country from Nov 9

Der Spiegel reported that Germany at the beginning of October warned Turkey in a verbal note to correct its official data and asked it to also release its data on asymptotic COVID-19 cases.

"Immediately following the statements of Turkish Health Minister, we asked the Turkish government to bring the reporting and the publication of the COVID-19 data back in line with international standards," Der Spiegel quoted a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Sept. 30 acknowledged that the government was not publishing the full number of daily positive COVID-19 cases but only those who are symptomatic, triggering criticism from many people.

Two weeks after Germany sent Turkey a verbal note regarding this issue, the German Foreign Ministry presented its concerns once again at the Turkish embassy in Berlin. The German Foreign Ministry reportedly said in its warning that "a reliable assessment of the actual infection rate in Turkey is not possible" with the officially shared figures.

In August, Germany lifted its travel warning for four coastal regions of Turkey as part of a deal to help revive tourism between the two countries. However, the German Foreign Ministry announced on Oct. 28 that it was revoking this exemption for four Turkish provinces and was extending its partial warning to whole Turkey starting on Nov. 9.

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