Turkey seeks to restart economy with domestic flights in May

Turkey is deliberating whether to start reopening its economy with the resumption of some domestic flights as early as mid-May, officials with direct knowledge of the plans said. Other steps that will be discussed at a cabinet meeting later Monday will include resuming rail transportation and reopening schools, officials said. On Monday, the country reported its fewest new cases in almost three weeks. Coming off a brief recession just over a year ago, the urgency is mounting for Turkey to loosen the screws on the economy as its currency and reserves come under pressure more than a month after it introduced social-distancing measures. The plans under consideration could deliver a boost to national carrier Turkish Airlines and retailers, which have been suffering since Turkey confirmed its first case of the disease in early March. Aviation authorities say they could resume flights as early as May 15, but the decision is subject to review by health experts and approval by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. <br/>