Azerbaijan to repatriate 174 citizens from Turkey

Azerbaijan Airlines will operate the next charter flight from Turkey to bring 174 more stranded citizens home, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Ankara told Report.

The embassy and the Consulate General in Istanbul promptly assess the appeals of the Azerbaijani citizens living, studying or temporarily staying in Turkey, said the diplomatic mission.

“Among them are the elderly, the sick, families with babies, and those in difficult situations. The Azerbaijani nationals living in  Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Mugla, Corum, are evacuated to the homeland.”

Azerbaijan shut down its land and air borders with Turkey on March 15 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey rose to 153,548 on Thursday. The death toll stands at a total of 4,249. More than 1,000 people have recovered from the virus, but 820 patients remain in the ICU. Despite the falling numbers of cases and death tolls, strict measures stay in place while some are being eased, such as a temporary exclusion from curfew for citizens aged 65 and above.