Large crowds gathered in front of the hall and inside it for the congress on March 24, with zero social distancing.

It has become a trend for the AKP to hold crowded congresses despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country, with Erdoğan once boasting about the fact that his party can gather crowds. 

The images from the congress were slammed on social media, mainly over the situation of shop owners and healthcare professionals. 

"Why can't restaurant or shop owners open their businesses?" was the question mainly asked on Twitter, since they've been losing a huge amount of income due to the lockdowns and pandemic measures imposed by the government.