He underlined that talks with Ankara were ongoing and the travel warning would not be permanent.

“But the course of the pandemic will determine when the travel ban will be lifted,” he added.

Germany is set to lift the travel warning for 31 European countries, including Germany's 26 partner countries in the European Union, the United Kingdom and the four countries of the border-free Schengen area that are not members of the EU: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Germany decided to follow the European Commission’s recommendation of 8 May 2020 and to extend the existing travel restrictions on all non‑essential travel from third countries to the country for another 30 days on May 15 in order to further contain COVID‑19 and prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Like other European countries, Germany will continue to apply the travel restrictions in the Schengen area decided on 17 March 2020 by the EU Heads of State and Government until 15 June 2020. (ILKHA)