Contradictory statements in Van over coronavirus cause concern

HDP Van Provincial co-chair Ökkeş Kawa and CHP Provincial chair Mehmet Kurukçu asked for measures to prevent coronavirus outbreak as refugees continue to arrive in Van. 

The State wrong handlig of the coronavirus epidemic continues to threaten the health of both citizens and refugees.

Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez has recently announced that 3,500 refugees from different countries entered Van and that not one of them proved positive to coronavirus.

However, shortly after the Governor declarations, AKP Van Provincial President Kayhan Türkmenoğlu said that 700 refugees had quarantined.

The contradictory statements made by state administrators prompted the reaction of the HDP and the CHP Van Provincial chairs who said that the reality is being hidden from the people.

HDP Van Provincial co-chair, Ökkeş Kawa, said that the statements made by the Governor of Van and the AKP Provincial President were as controversial as they were contradictory.

Reminding that the government had acted as if 'there was no such epidemic' in the country until the IMF said that they will provide credit support to the countries struggling with coronavirus, Kawa added: "This contradictory statements are not limited to Van. The government has been boasting about Turkey not being affected by the virus."

Kawa continued: "They hid the truth from the people from the beginning of the outbreak. Clear information about the virus was not shared with the citizens. Van is one of the provinces at risk. It is a city with a higher risk because of it being so closed to the border with Iran."

CHP Van Provincial President Mehmet Kurukçu, said that refugees are continuing to arrive illegally to Özalp, Çaldıran, Saray and Başkale and added that "this situation causes concern in the society." Recalling the statement of Van Governor M. Emin Bilmez who said they had "caught 3,500 refugees', Kurukçu said: "I have no clear information, I cannot give numbers. But I think the number is actually much higher because uncontrolled entries continue even if the refugees are quarantined."