Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu resigned Sunday evening over an announcement Friday night of a weekend curfew, after which about 250,000 people flooded shops and bakeries across Turkey.

"All responsibility regarding the implementation of the curfew lies on me," he said regarding the incident.

Critics of the announcement's timing said such a move served to increase the risk of spreading the virus at a time when social distancing and isolation are encouraged.

Turkey has imposed restrictions on daily life in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Though an early response to the crisis has stemmed the number of those infected, the country has had mixed success in limiting public mobility, especially on weekends and given rising temperatures.

With this in mind, a weekend curfew declared Friday in over 31 mainly urban provinces came as no surprise for many, despite having been announced only two hours before implementation.

Streets, avenues and main squares across the country have been void of activity this weekend in the wake of the curfew imposed by the Interior Ministry.