Pakistani passengers given one-day exemption on mandatory quarantine in Turkey: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) has said that the Turkish authorities have granted a one-day exemption (June 1) on mandatory quarantine to Pakistani passengers being stranded at airports, ARY News on Tuesday.

The Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement that a number of Pakistanis had gotten stranded in Istanbul as they started their journey before the announcement of new travel restrictions by Turkey for inbound passengers from several countries including Pakistan.

Following the new directives, Turkey imposed a quarantine of 14 days on passengers arriving from several countries including Pakistan. The Pakistani embassy in Ankara contacted the Turkish authorities regarding the decision.

Later, the Turkish authorities have granted a one-day exemption (for 1 June 2021) to Pakistani passengers and allowed their entry into Turkey after a negative PCR test conducted at the airport.

It added that the Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara and the Consulate General of Pakistan in Istanbul are in close contact with the Pakistanis at the Istanbul airport to help minimise the impact of the new regulations.

Chaudhri added that a team from the consulate general is also present at the Istanbul airport to render necessary assistance to Pakistani nationals.