Turkey to support shorter, flexible work hours

By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will support flexible and shorter work hours for employees in order to limit the time they spend outdoors as part of measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak, the country's labor, social services and family minister said Friday.

"We will provide flexibility in certain conditions to make it more beneficial to all sectors," said Zehra Zumrut Selcuk, speaking at Anadolu Agency's Editor's Desk in the capital Ankara.

She added that the basic state pension will be increased from 1,000 Turkish liras ($154) to 1,500 Turkish liras ($231).

"Based on the results of an income questionnaire conducted by the Social Assistance Solidarity Foundations, we will distribute 2 billion liras [$308 million] to assist the lowest-income segment," Selcuk added.

Turkey has so far confirmed four deaths from coronavirus and confirmed 359 cases.

The global death toll has exceeded 10,000 as scientists try to develop a vaccine for the virus known as COVID-19, according to figures compiled by John Hopkins University.