As Turkey prepares to enter a strict nationwide lockdown in the middle of the month of Ramadan, many citizens and foreigners living in the country have been left confused over the finer details of the curfew that will last 17 days.

Here is a one-stop explainer for all your questions regarding the upcoming lockdown.

Scope

The lockdown will be one of the strictest Ankara has imposed since the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2020. In essence, the country is doing a full circle of its practices last year, when it was praised for being proactive with its measures amid a sea of uncertainties surrounding the then-new coronavirus.

The lockdown will come into effect across all 81 provinces, and except for select people working in key sectors or critical jobs and visiting tourists, everyone will be ordered to stay indoors unless absolutely essential.

As with previous lockdowns, people will only be allowed to go outside of their homes to buy their necessities from the nearest shops on foot. That means any trips to markets or shops that are not within walking distance or that require a car or other vehicles will not be allowed.

Timeframe

The lockdown will start at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 29 and will end at 5 a.m. on Monday, May 17 – three weeks later.

That means the lockdown will be in force during May 1 Labor Day and the four-day Ramadan Bayram, or Eid al-Fitr, holiday. It will continue for 17 days without any interruptions or exceptions.

Although it has not been officially acknowledged, it is highly likely for the government to extend the lockdown to Wednesday, May 19 since it is also a national holiday, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.

Exemptions

According to the Turkish Interior Ministry, certain people, namely those deemed key workers for the continuation of essential services, will be exempt from this lockdown as was with past lockdowns.

The exemption will only apply for the duration needed to perform their duties, which means these groups still won't be able to roam the streets freely and will be subject to police checks.

Another notable exemption is tourists visiting Turkey. Foreign tourists will be allowed to go outside during the lockdown. Museums and other cultural exhibits will remain open during the lockdown for visits by tourists but the government advises to call ahead before visiting to confirm their operating hours since they might be reduced.

A word of caution for foreigners living in Turkey is that those who have short or long-term residence permits or work visas are not considered tourists, hence expats are not exempt from lockdown regulations.

Fines

For those who fail to comply with the new rules, hefty fines await if they are caught outside during the lockdown.

Police officers will hand a TL 3,150 ($385) fine for anyone caught violating lockdown rules. If you are caught without a mask, which is currently mandatory indoors and outdoors, you may be issued an extra TL 900 ($110) fine.

Available services

Many non-essential businesses and services will be shuttered during the lockdown, but critical ones will continue to operate. Although cargo businesses will remain open and delivery personnel will be exempt from the lockdown rules during their working hours, you will not be able to go to a branch to return your items. Many e-commerce sites have extended their return policies to cover the duration of the lockdown.