Turkey to open airport COVID-19 testing centers

ANKARA

Turkey will open testing centers for the novel coronavirus in its busy airports by July 1 and the rest in others in the country by July 15, said the Turkish tourism minister.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy joined Anadolu Agency Editor's Desk on Wednesday.

He said Turkey's 2023 tourism goals remained as planned.

"Turkey's 75 million tourists and $65 billion income goal for 2023 will be achieved," said Ersoy.

He added that more than 727 hotels and about 900 restaurants had applied for a "Safe Tourism Certification" that would indicate they had taken standard measures to prevent COVID-19 infections.

He also noted that the number of public beaches available in the country's southern tourist hotspot province Antalya would increase every year.