An Evolving Crisis -Regional Updates. Country Status Report #1: Turkey
Over the coming weeks Pyramid Temi Group will be publishing a series of updates from our regional hubs. The objective of the updates is to deliver informed comment and insight from our experts as to how a series of countries are addressing the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) emergency.
If you would like the updates delivered directly to your email box please sign-up to service by clicking here.
Please note that in addition to the Covid-19 updates, those who sign-up to the service will receive a complimentary copy of our updated country report.
The worldwide impact of Covid-19 has not spared Turkey. We spoke with the Managing Director at Pyramid Temi Group’s local partner company, and Andy Williams, Regional hub Director for Turkey and the Near East, to understand more about what the current situation actually is and which issues will be the most critical over the coming months.
Q: Over the past few days Turkey has confirmed a number of cases of COVID-19 within its borders. As part of the containment strategy, Ankara has decided to suspend all passenger flights to and from almost 50 countries including China, Italy and South Korea. Do you expect this to be enlarged to other countries or for other measures to be introduced?
A: In addition to the ban on passenger flights from these countries foreign citizens who were physically present in these countries in the last 14 days are not permitted to transit or enter Turkey. As regards Turkish citizens, including dual nationals, who were in these countries over the past 14 days they are allowed to enter Turkey but may be subject to a quarantine requirement.
Q: What other containment measures have been put in place?
A: The Government of Turkey closed its land borders with Iran and Iraq, as well as the Dilucu land border crossing. Turkish Ministry of Health officials screen travellers at airports and maritime ports, as well as some land crossings, using thermal cameras. To date, travellers do not need any specific health documentation to enter or exit Turkey but that may change.
Q: What’s the situation as regards Quarantine measures?:
A: If an individual presents COVID-19 symptoms, the Turkish Ministry of Health guidelines are to send that person to a designated hospital for testing and possible observation under quarantine for 14 days. On March 12, the Turkish government announced that all primary, middle and high schools (public and private) will close effective March 16, and these schools will begin online/distance learning beginning the week of March 23. Additionally, all universities were closed on March 16 for an initial period of three weeks. Another interesting measure that the Government implemented regards thousands of pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia who were taken into quarantine due to concerns about the spread of Covid-19.
Q: Quarantining several thousand pilgrims is a huge logistical challenge, how has it been conducted?
A: Television pictures showed buses transporting pilgrims along the highway from Ankara's airport to the city as part of an operation to place those returning into student dormitories. The Youth and Sports Ministry stated that the pilgrims were to be kept under observation for 14 days in five different student dormitories - in the capital Ankara and the central Turkish city of Konya. Closing the universities for three weeks has created the capacity to host over 10,000 people in the dormitories, those that weren’t fully empty transferred the remaining students to other dormitories.
Q: Andy, as regional hub director for Turkey and the Near East you’re monitoring the situation closely, how is the Turkish population reacting to the spread of the virus?
A: At 9pm every night the whole of Turkey clap and applaud for doctors and nurses. This is announced on the public TV. There are public broadcast advertisements thanking security guards, cleaners and transport workers for ‘working so we can stay safe’. This is a good example of how the Turkish people are reacting. Turkey is a proud nationalist country and if an external crisis impacts the country then all Turks come together to support each other.
Turkey is also a faith-based country and the nation combines faith with nationalism to see themselves through a crisis.
Q: Which system is being enforced by the Turkish Government, the Chinese, South Korean, Italian or UK strategy?
A: As Turkey was behind the infection curve they had time to see what each nation was doing and what worked. The Turkish people are more disciplined and compliant to directions from their government, such as the Chinese, so long as they feel the government is not enforcing them to the extreme. Therefore, whole sections of the population will lock down and self isolate. As the country is an Executive Presidency, quick, unilateral and countrywide decisions can be made if necessary for the greater good, such as quarantining people on mass by relocating them to quarantine camps if necessary, as happened with plane loads of pilgrims returning from Makkah.
Turkey is one of the youngest populations in continental Europe with only 8% of the population over 65, therefore they can more easily control and isolate the population. Any comparison with Italy, which has the second oldest population in the world, cannot be made.
While testing has been increased, it started later than in South Korea and Germany when they were at similar stages. The government has directed all private hospitals to become pandemic clinics to build greater capacity in anticipation of higher infections.
Q: How are people reacting to the Government’s choice and are people following government instructions?
A: Turkey is an inherently paternal society (Ataturk means father of Turks) and on the whole citizens take note of what their government tells them. At the moment people are following government instructions without any need of government enforcement measures and the situation is calm.
There is a "stay at home at all times" curfew for the over 65’s. If they are seen to be outside they can be fined and returned home.
Q: How is the private sector being affected by the present status?
A: The same as in Europe and the rest of the world, a temporary economic turndown across all sectors as the country is told to self isolate.
Q: Has the Government enlisted the assistance of the private security sector?
A: The business model of much of Turkey’s economy is based on a public private partnership approach, especially on infrastructure projects. The private security sector is one of the biggest employers in Turkey and is already established in working with the government.
Q: In terms of forecasts, what’s on your radar screen, do you have any particular fears or concerns?
A: Short-term so long as the internet and wifi connection works and public utilities provide electricity and essential services there are no concerns as the Turks will work with each other against an external crisis rather than against each other. So long as the young have the internet and wifi they will feel connected.
Long-term it is the same as all countries around the world, if the good of current self isolation and social distance is undone by irreversibly breaking the economy and fabric of society, then things could turn ugly.
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewees. They are published in good faith and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of PTG.
An Evolving Crisis - Cultural Awareness: Covid-19
Over the coming weeks Pyramid Temi Group will be publishing a series of updates from our regional hubs. The objective is to deliver informed comment and insight from our experts as to how a series of countries are addressing the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) emergency.
To launch the series we’ve asked Pyramid Temi Group CEO Roger Warwick to comment on why there is a difference to each country’s response to the emergency.
If you would like future updates delivered directly to your email box please sign-up to the option by clicking here.
Please note that in addition to the Covid-19 updates, those who sign-up to the service will receive a complimentary copy of our updated country report.
Cultural Awareness: What can the international response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic teach us about local cultures?
When advising on Travel Security issues we place significant emphasis on the importance of cultural awareness, the current Covid-19 pandemic has led a great number of nations to impose a series of measures and restrictions on their citizens and, to be effective, these measures have to take the local realities into consideration.
We asked Roger Warwick, CEO of the Pyramid Temi Group, to comment on these considerations and what lessons can be learned from Italy, China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom’s responses to the current emergency.
PTG: Would you agree that no single solution suits all and thus individual governments must devise their own specific strategies?
RW: This is exactly the case, we have seen how the Chinese response appears to have been highly efficient because the social structure responds to commands from above and news is efficiently filtered. Aside from the student revolt in 1989 which culminated in the Tiananmen Square incident, modern China has no history of social revolt and Chinese citizens know that they cannot rebel against orders as they will be severely punished. For example the door-to-door checks and enforced quarantine in government structures as recently seen in China cannot be done in democratic nations.
PTG: Is it correct to say that a government’s response has to be based on the local reality and that in particular cultural concerns must be taken into consideration?
RW: We do need to study the local realities and they can only be understood by taking some historical facts and moments into consideration. Let me make a quite radical example that illustrates the point. During the Second World War the British Government chose to focus investments on building anti-aircraft batteries around London as opposed to creating air-raid shelters for the local population. In 1939 Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s military advisors expected aerial bombardments to be far greater than they actually turned out to be, the decision was thus made to ‘sacrifice’ a part of the population in favour of focusing investments on aerial defence measures. In a certain fashion, the current UK Government appears to be reasoning with a similar mentality in an attempt to protect the nation at the expense of the weaker members of the community - this has a certain logic but it would most certainly not be accepted in a country with a strong Catholic culture.
PTG: Which factors define Italy’s response to the current emergency and how do they differ from China and the UK’s?
RW: It’s easy for us to criticise the mistakes that have been made but we should consider that, apart from this being unchartered territory for all, and I mean all, Italy is governed by two parties that ran as opponents in the elections, each with its own agenda and they are up against a strong and vociferous opposition. The Italian Government attempted to bring in measures that, they hoped, would achieve something without upsetting too many, as have other governments around the world. No need to cite examples. They should, in my opinion, have created a “National Unity” emergency government that included the opposition. If you keep your adversary close and involve them in decision making, you will have less noisy opposition to every decision made and you will be able to enact unpopular decisions without the opposition leaders screaming.
The error was in not taking the gloves off and considering this to be a war right from the start.
China is a totalitarian state with all the strengths and weaknesses that this implies i.e. blind obedience but the risk of collapse if you lose control. This has made it essential and possible for the rulers to implement measures that would be impossible in democracies. On the other hand, the rulers have far more to lose if they are not successful. The flaw in the system was the fact that local rulers tried to cover up and resolve the problem in-house in order to avoid being punished by central government. This would have been less likely and possibly impossible to do in a democracy. In short, the Chinese lost a month but then moved in with artillery. It is interesting to note that Xi Jing disappeared from the radar screen until the tide started to turn.
The UK has a government that is focused on one thing only, BREXIT. Boris Johnson hoped that the Covid-19 matter would blow over so he could get back to business. It hasn’t, so now something, a lot, has to be done. He is making off-the-cuff comments, such as “We will see results within 12 weeks” and is giving voice to some of the comments made by the scientific community such as The Herd process before having sufficiently examined the concept. Unlike Italy, the UK has a weak and divided opposition looking for a new leader. This gives further powers, de facto, to the government without the risks run by totalitarian rulers if things should go wrong.
PTG: What are the most critical concerns that these governments have had to take into consideration, what worries them most in terms of the public’s response?
RW: I’ve approached this in answering the previous question. In short Italy; how to achieve steel fisted results without taking off their gloves. China; how to maintain absolute power if the measures taken don’t work. UK; the Government doesn’t appear to be that worried about public response. They are overestimating their power and popularity.
PTG: At this point in time are there any foreseeable risks of social unrest and if so how will the local authorities react?
RW: If the Italian Government is intelligent enough to bring on board the opposition they can blame Europe for everything and there will be no violent social unrest. They are talking about a new Marshall Plan but have not taken into account that Italy is no longer the first and last line of defence against the Soviet Union, something Bettino Craxi underestimated after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but that’s another story, so there won’t be an airlift and blank cheques.
China. It looks like the Chinese rulers are weathering the storm well so if no surprises this could just mean a hierarchy reshuffle, and restructuring, then back to business as usual.
As regards the UK this is a big question mark. Over the past 70 years and more the British have relied on the myth of being invincible but things have changed. If the government organises itself properly and achieves results there will be no social unrest. The country will bind together and continue. If, on the other hand, the emergency response is a complete disaster then spontaneous, non-party-led, movements could spring up and be violent.
As said before, this is very much unchartered territory.
PTG: When we emerge from the current emergency what changes will we find, are there any particular social issues, such as delusion over leadership’s actions, that might cause problems in the future?
RW: Scientific advice and political agendas are strange bedfellows at the best of times. In Italy we’ve seen some pretty bad examples of science and politics being at loggerheads. Will this change? Will people rise up against their deluding politicians? I would imagine that this will be down to the number of dead and the number of starving, homeless, and out of work survivors.
Coronavirus e GDPR: la tutela dei diritti e delle libertà dei lavoratori
Coronavirus e GDPR: i diritti dei lavoratori. Come tutelare la salute e la privacy durante l'emergenza? Finalità della presente trattazione è quella di fornire un quadro aggiornato dei recenti provvedimenti in materia di lavoro e dati personali, e delle linee operative da rispettare negli ambienti lavorativi al fine di perseguire la migliore applicazione della normativa in materia di tutela dei dati personali.
Compito quanto mai arduo in quanto con il diffondersi dell’epidemia di coronavirus in Italia si sono susseguite differenti disposizioni, non sempre in linea le une con le altre, che di seguito ci apprestiamo ad approfondire. È, tuttavia, possibile individuare all’interno delle stesse dei precetti il cui rispetto permette alle aziende di porre in essere i comportamenti, di volta in volta, più idonei.
- La nota informativa del Garante del 2 marzo 2020
- Il decreto legge n. 14 del 9 marzo 2020
- Il protocollo del 14 marzo 2020
- Lo Statement del Comitato Europeo per la protezione dei dati del 16 marzo 2020
1)La nota informativa del Garante del 2 marzo 2020
Il garante Privacy con una nota informativa, in seguito al diffondersi dell’epidemia, ha inibito l’utilizzo delle iniziative fai-da-te nella raccolta dei dati, specificando che soggetti pubblici e privati devono attenersi alle indicazioni del Ministero della salute e delle istituzioni competenti.Il garante ha ritenuto doveroso precisare i termini della questione in quanto numerosi soggetti (sia pubblici che privati) hanno iniziato, a chiedere di poter raccogliere, all’atto della registrazione di visitatori e utenti, informazioni circa la presenza di sintomi da Coronavirus e notizie sugli ultimi spostamenti, come misura di prevenzione dal contagio...
CONTINUA A LEGGERE QUI
Vademecum a cura dell'Avv. Chiara Salerno - Studio Legale de Capoa e Associati
Forza Maggiore nei Paesi Extra-UE e raccomandazioni operative
Clausola di Forza Maggiore: quali sono le diverse accezioni caratterizzanti l’istituto della forza maggiore nei Paesi extra-UE di maggiore interesse e quali le raccomandazioni “pratiche” finalizzate a tutelare gli operatori economici?
Come purtroppo di palese evidenza, la recente diffusione del Coronavirus ha avuto ed avrà, per un prolungato lasso di tempo, un fortissimo impatto sull’economia, sugli scambi e sui rapporti contrattuali internazionali, interessando, in particolar modo, il funzionamento sia della c.d. supply chain che della catena distributiva. La casistica degli effetti sui rapporti contrattuali, con particolare riferimento all’inadempimento è eterogenea, ma tuttavia, il tratto comune è rappresentato dai ritardi ed addirittura dalla impossibilità, per le imprese italiane, di adempiere alle proprie prestazioni (siano esse forniture di merci o prestazione di servizi), con un effetto a cascata che travolge i vari operatori economici, rendendo estremamente difficile l'inquadramento delle varie responsabilità. In situazioni di emergenza (sanitaria in primo luogo, ed economica in secondo luogo) come quella attuale, i diversi operatori commerciali che si ritrovano nella condizione di non potere adempiere alle proprie obbligazioni contrattuali, sono soliti appellarsi alla c.d. clausola di forza maggiore.
In questo senso, si rende pertanto utile -da un lato - evidenziare sommariamente quali siano le diverse accezioni caratterizzanti l'istituto della forza maggiore nei Paesi Extra-UE di maggiore interesse, dall'altro fornire una serie di raccomandazioni "pratiche" finalizzate a tutelare gli operatori economici.
Continua a leggere cliccando QUI
Articolo a cura dello Studio Legale de Capoa e Associati
Telelavoro: attenzione alla sicurezza. La parola al nostro esperto
In queste settimane, il telelavoro sta permettendo a molte aziende italiane di portare avanti la propria attività lavorativa anche da remoto. Le opportunità sono tante, occorre però prestare attenzione alla sicurezza informatica.
La parola al nostro esperto Fabio Muzzi Frabetti, IT Security Manager, in questa intervista per Travel for business! https://www.travelforbusiness.it/2020/03/13/telelavoro-rischi-informatici/
Comunicato prevenzione Covid-19 (Coronavirus)
Bologna, 02/03/2020
COMUNICATO PREVENZIONE COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS)
Pyramid Temi Group srl comunica il proprio impegno nel mantenere il più rigoroso rispetto di ogni cautela volta a prevenire il rischio di contagio e diffusione dell’epidemia di Covid-19.
Assicuriamo di aver adottato le più opportune precauzioni igienico-sanitarie, e di aver provveduto ad inviare ai nostri dipendenti e collaboratori un documento di linee guida da seguire per la prevenzione del contagio da Covid-19 (Coronavirus), contenente le disposizioni fornite dall’OMS (https://www.who.int/) e dal Ministero della Salute Italiano (http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/home.html ).
Il medesimo impegno è stato assunto anche dai nostri partner all’estero, i quali hanno fornito ai propri dipendenti e collaboratori le disposizioni dell’OMS e dei propri Governi.
Teniamo costantemente monitorate le fonti istituzionali, e, in caso di significativi aggiornamenti, provvediamo a darne comunicazione ai nostri dipendenti e collaboratori.
Al nostro personale in Italia è stata data indicazione di mantenere, con clienti e fornitori, contatti per via telematica (email, videoconferenze e call telefoniche) anziché fissare incontri e appuntamenti di persona.
Pyramid Temi Group Srl
COVID-19. Il documento per la preparazione e risposta alle pandemie
Preparazione e risposta alle pandemie. La situazione di estrema criticità che le aziende si stanno trovando a dover affrontare, dovuta alla diffusione del Covid-19 in Italia e nel resto del mondo, ha portato Pyramid Temi Group (PTG), PACE First e Riskline a riunire le proprie competenze in campo di Security, Assistenza Medica e Intelligence per supportare le organizzazioni nell'aumentare la propria resilienza e mantenere la continuità del business.
Da qui nasce "Pandemic Preparedness & Management Guidelines", un documento di linee guida per la preparazione e risposta alle pandemie, contenente strategie e procedure finalizzate sia alla gestione di questa importante emergenza, per ridurne l'impatto, sia allo sviluppo e implementazione di un piano di preparazione e risposta a potenziali eventi pandemici futuri.
Il documento è gratuito e si applica ad organizzazioni di tutti i settori e dimensioni.
RICHIEDI IL DOCUMENTO
Business Continuity - Coronavirus
Business Continuity durante la pandemia di Coronavirus: leggi i consigli del nostro esperto Andy Williams in questa intervista per Travel for business: https://www.travelforbusiness.it/2020/02/24/business-travel-continuity/
English version below:
Covid-19 (Coronavirus), has now reached Italy and is anticipated to spread across Europe. Despite the fact that pneumonia kills thousands each year, the unknown nature and apparent exoticness of the new virus is creating public panic.
The public are also employees of companies and when people fear for their health one of two things happen – either companies come second and they stay at home or they look for companies for help and advice.
As the virus spreads more and longer employees start to become anxious about their job as well as their own and their family’s health.
This is where the importance of business continuity planning comes into play for all sizes of companies in all sectors, especially labour intensive business and business that rely on travel and face to face meetings.
The old saying, "those who fail to plan are those who plan to fail" is never more true than now. If you do not have a pandemic business continuity plan already in place, now is the time to start.
Here are some priority points to consider and help decide what is business critical and a priority to get your company a through a short, medium or long term coronavirus pandemic escalation.
• Information: Ensure your management teams are provided with factually correct and consistent information and advice on the virus from an accredited medical organisation or government agency: not social media or the general news media. Bad news and information increases panic and spreads, correct news and information reassures and calms. Prepare FAQ’s for employees and links to information services as described.
• Well-being and support: Be proactive in providing accredited advice on preventative hygiene and recognising symptoms relating to the virus for all employees. Include regular updates and allocate a team to respond to enquiries from employees in both written and verbal format.
• Supply Chain: Forecast both your personnel and product supply chain for worst case business disruption and best-case business resumption in the short, medium and long term. List out what is business critical and minimum to the business without cutting too deeply into the bone that you are unable to walk and run quickly again when business returns to normal.
• IT Infrastructure and Cyber Security: if the solution is to redeploy employees to work from home and remotely. Ensure the IT infrastructure, cloud storage and bandwidth capacity is in place for employees engaged prioritised for remote working business critical functions to do so. Mandate and provide easy instructions on setting up and using VPN’s. Provide refresher training on Cyber and Information security.
• Equipment and Utility Servicing: If you have equipment and utilities due annual servicing or preventative maintenance, do it now while the service is available, especially for air conditioning in anticipation of summer weather if the disruption is medium term.
• Pandemic Essential Supplies: Order handwash disinfectant and other pandemic essential supplies now, before there is a rush on their supply if the situation is looking medium term. You can never have enough handwash disinfectant.
• Scenario Planning: With your management team, conduct scenario planning for worst case impact of pandemic in short, medium and long term. Ensure scenario plans take into account all these points and any others specific to your business to keep it running, treading water or surviving in contingency mode until business is back to normal.
Readiness for Recovery: When business is back to normal, those who travel first will be welcomed the most.
COVID-19 - Evacuation: Il commento del nostro partner PACE First
COVID-19: Scarica il commento del nostro partner PACE First, leader mondiale in evacuazione e assistenza medica QUI
Novel coronavirus: il report a cura di Pyramid Temi Group aggiornato al 10/02
LATEST UPDATE: Sale a 1018 il numero delle vittime, e 43.112 i casi di contagio.
In che modo chi viaggia per lavoro può affrontare il drammatico problema della protezione dal virus che porta, oltre a 40.553 contagi e 910 morti al 10 febbraio, conseguenze negative di ingente portata sull’economia, sul turismo e anche sulla società? Un severo test per chi si occupa di Travel Risk Management, che Pyramid Temi Group affronta divulgando informazioni aggiornate.
Leggi su Securindex il report a cura di PTG!