10.11.2026 11:50
Dursun Çağlayan, Deputy Group Chair of the BBP at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Council, proposed the cancellation of water debts for 1,103 households affected by the disaster in Istanbul, and submitted a parliamentary question to the İBB administration over infrastructure inadequacies and recurring loss of life.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council (IMM) BBP Group Deputy Chair Dursun Çağlayan once again brought to the Council agenda the water floods and infrastructure inadequacies that have become chronic across the city along with autumn rains. Pointing out that despite the motions for questions submitted last year and this year no concrete measures have been taken, Çağlayan criticized the administration's statements that "infrastructure works have been completed" in light of the painful toll.
"DESPITE WRITTEN RESPONSES, LOSSES OF LIFE OCCURRED"
In the motion for a question he submitted to the Council Presidency, Çağlayan recalled that they had issued warnings on 13 October 2025 and 13 October 2026 before the autumn rains. Emphasizing that the city experienced the disaster again, in contrast to official responses that necessary measures had been taken, Çağlayan included the following statements: "Despite your responses that the infrastructure works have been completed and the necessary measures have been taken, on 14 October and 18 October 2026 our citizens once again faced floods and, I say with sorrow, this caused losses of life. I wish God's mercy upon our citizens whom we lost due to the floods, and my condolences to their relatives. I also convey my wishes of a speedy recovery to all our citizens who were affected."
"WATER DEBTS OF AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS SHOULD BE CANCELLED"
Describing the IMM administration's initiation of support payments totaling 44 million 120 thousand TL to 1,103 households affected by the floods as a positive but insufficient step, Çağlayan made an additional proposal to alleviate the hardships. Stating that he supported the financial aid provided, Çağlayan expressed that the unpaid water bill debts of the 1,103 households in question should be completely cancelled.
TWO CRITICAL QUESTIONS TO THE IMM ADMINISTRATION
Stating that it is essential to produce permanent solutions so that the disasters experienced are not repeated, Dursun Çağlayan posed the following two critical questions, requesting that the IMM Presidency answer them:
- Which infrastructure investments and projects have been implemented in the 1-year period between the first motion we submitted in 2025 and the second motion we submitted on 13 October 2026?
- What concrete measures have been taken to prevent similar hardships and loss of life in the rains likely to occur in the coming days?
At the end of the motion for a question, Çağlayan stated that they would follow up on the matter and requested written information from the Presidency.