Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu resigned on Sunday after an abrupt lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, announced with two hours' notice, sparked panic buying across the country.
"May my country, which I never wished to hurt, and our president, to whom I will be faithful all my life, forgive me," Soylu revealed in the statement over his resignation.
On Friday evening, Suleyman Soylu disclosed a 48-hour confinement in Turkey's 30 largest cities just 2 hours before it was due to take effect.
That led to a rush to buy essentials, with crowds failing to respect social distancing orders by the government.
The government came under harsh criticism from the opposition and on social media for endangering the lives of thousands.
Reacting to the chaotic scenes on Friday, Soylu said the lockdown had been on the "instructions" of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
But on Sunday the powerful interior minister accepted "entire responsibility for the implementation of this measure", which he said had been carried out "in good faith".
The shutdown was to last until midnight Sunday (2100 GMT).
Source: france24
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