Turkey puts cargo vehicle tracking system in use amid virus

Turkey will monitor vehicles that carry cargo from Central Asia after entering the country with a tracking system, said Adil Karaismailoglu, the Turkish transportation and infrastructure minister on Tuesday.

Under a new measure, foreign truck drivers who comply with stringent health rules will be able to deliver their cargo and exit the country within 72 hours, without being subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Karaismailoglu emphasised after meeting on quarantine measures between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, talks were also held with Russia's transport minister and Kazakhstan's infrastructure minister.

Drivers from Russia and Kazakhstan will now be able to enter the country, provided that they do not get out of their vehicles and comply with stringent health rules.

He stated that drivers who have symptoms related to Covid-19 will not be allowed to pass the border, adding that all vehicles entering the country will continue to be subjected to disinfection.

"Drivers entering the country will be able to stop by the state-designated breakpoints," he said. However, drivers will only be able to wait there under essential situations, Turkey's transport minister said.

He said comprehensive measures have been taken at the customs gates to ensure that the export shipments are not adversely affected, the supply chain is not damaged, and the transportation sector can work effectively.