As the Covid-19 death toll peaks in Turkey, unemployment has become a significant issue amid new restrictions.

A group representing workers from the service sector has protested the severe restrictions applied by the Turkish Internal Ministry. Workers came together in Istanbul’s Şişhane Square and protested silently for thirty minutes.

Workers expressed their demands via placards with messages including: “I cannot sleep at night due to unemployment”; “We cannot earn a living, we want our lives back”; “One percent of us die of Covid, one hundred percent die of hunger”; “Rents, bills, debts must be delayed”; “Incentives for workers, not for partisans”; “I cannot manage under this system”. The protest lasted for about thirty minutes and ended with applause.

According to data shared by the Turkish Health Ministry, which is debated, the number of daily deaths announced on 11 December was 226, the highest since 17 March. This total death toll is 15, 977, with 32,106 current cases.