Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Turkish Airlines will begin requiring passengers on overseas flights to submit negative PCR tests as of Dec. 30, the national flag carrier announced late on Saturday.

According to a statement posted on the company's official social media accounts, the requirement will come into effect with a two-day delay from the previously announced date.

Passengers failing to submit a negative PCR test will not be allowed to board the flight, Turkish Airlines noted. The obligation will be applied to passengers over 6 years old and will remain in place until March 1.

On Friday, Turkish Airlines had announced the procedure would begin on Dec. 28.

Later on Friday, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said authorities would start requiring air, land and sea passengers arriving in Turkey from abroad to submit negative PCR coronavirus test results sampled a maximum of 72 hours prior to their flight as of Dec. 30.

Koca said the new measures were needed for international arrivals in Turkey due to the global rise in case numbers and the acceleration of the pandemic.

Late last Sunday, Turkey temporarily banned flights from the U.K., Denmark, the Netherlands and South Africa due to a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus.

Flights between Turkey and the Netherlands resumed Wednesday, while the ban is still in place on flights from the rest.

Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines conducted repatriation flights to the U.K. on Friday.

A very good development should stop some of the cases coming here

This will not apply to transit passengers.....as per email just received.

"Dear Passengers,

For flights to our country which have STD (schedule time of departure) 30 December 2020 00:00 or later with the dates and times of the countries where the flights are operated , 6 years and older passengers who will enter Turkey must submit negative PCR test documents taken 72 hours before the schedule time of departure of the flight (maximum 72 hours between the sample delivery time and the schedule time of departure of the flight). It must be nucleic acid test. Transit passengers who will not enter Turkey only should pay attention to the destination country regulations. This implementation is valid until March 1, 2021.

Moreover, passengers (6 years and older) traveling from UK, Denmark or South Africa with the flights that have STD (schedule time of departure) 30 December 2020 00:00 or later with the dates and times of the countries where the flights are operated or passengers have been in these 3 countries in the last 10 days and will enter Turkey are required to submit negative PCR test documents taken 72 hours before the schedule time of departure of the flight (maximum 72 hours between the sample delivery time and the schedule time of departure of the flight). These passengers will be quarantined at their residences (if any) or in different places and they will be subjected to a PCR test 7 days later. If the test result will be negative, quarantine will be removed.

We wish you a good flight.

We flew Ercan - Istanbul - Edinburgh on 28th December and were asked for our PCR test result on both flights. I think all airlines/countries should be asking for this.

Good lord, I've read it twice and still don't understand it all. If anything keeps me in in the TRNC to visit anywhere else, its the Rules and Regs involved.

Sophie The big problem is if you leave one country can you enter your destination country ?
Also having left can you re-enter the country you have left?

This virus thing changes and the rules change within hours
Take September Land on a Saturday night no problem isolate at home a day later you're in a hotel for 7 days
Now because of a virus mutation no admission from the uk
Travel is a different experience than 12 months ago

A simple trip to Ireland/Eire from the UK no passport needed if you arrive in NI is a nightmare of lockdowns

No to mention trying to cross the border into Wales 40 miles away The Police are waiting for you

Stay Home Stay Warm Stay Safe or prepare to be stranded

Don't worry wanderer, that's definitely our intention. Sons are talking about coming over to see us in May and I've told them to be very careful or they could find themselves staying here long enough to be signed up for the TRNC army (joke) but it did make them have a second thoughts.