15.10.2026 23:20
Following the flood disaster in Istanbul, Minister Murat Kurum, who made a statement, announced that 273 kilograms of rainfall per square meter fell in the city and that 3,057 people were rescued. Kurum, stating that 48 landslides occurred due to the flood and 53 retaining walls collapsed, said damage assessment work is ongoing. Kurum, conveying that the Meteorology issued yellow-coded warnings for 24 provinces and orange-coded warnings for 2 provinces, called on citizens not to leave their homes unless necessary.
The Istanbul Governor's Office announced that a Disaster Coordination Meeting was held under the chairmanship of Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum regarding the efforts carried out against the rainfall affecting the city.
YELLOW WARNING FOR 24 PROVINCES, ORANGE WARNING FOR 2 PROVINCES
Minister Kurum, who made statements in front of cameras after the critical meeting, stated that the General Directorate of Meteorology issued “yellow” coded warnings for 24 provinces and “orange” coded warnings for 2 provinces.
The highlights from Minister Kurum's statements are as follows: “As of tomorrow morning, we will have rainfall again, especially on the European Side. Our yellow-coded warning continues for Istanbul and our other provinces, in a total of 24 provinces. Our General Directorate of Meteorology says that rainfall will continue across Istanbul on Saturday as well. Therefore, since adverse weather conditions are expected to continue, we ask our citizens not to leave their homes unless necessary. If they have any needs, they can convey them to our district governorates and municipalities. We will act to meet their needs quickly. Again, tomorrow we have an orange warning for Zonguldak and Düzce. We are taking all measures. We request our citizens to be cautious.”
“273 KG OF RAINFALL FELL PER SQUARE METER”
At today's meeting, we decided in detail on the causes and consequences of the flood disaster, the situation of our citizens and the emerging picture, and the steps we will take. Our city received the longest rainfall in 83 years. 273 kg of rainfall per square meter fell. Let me express its magnitude as follows: 273 kilograms of rainfall per square meter means a water height of 27 centimeters. The dam occupancy rate increased by 7 percent. Our security units took all our citizens to safe areas. We are hosting some of our citizens. Thank God, our security units rescued 3,057 of our citizens.
“48 LANDSLIDES OCCURRED, 9,755 REPORTS RECEIVED”
Under the coordination of our Istanbul Governor's Office, all shelter requests will be met. In our 39 districts, with our 110 vehicles, the fire brigade and our municipalities are providing assistance to meet our citizens' needs such as hot soup. 48 landslides occurred. 53 retaining walls collapsed. 9,755 reports were received. Our units intervened immediately. We quickly began damage assessment. We started assessing our farmers' crop damage. Our units are conducting assessments quickly. In Ayazağa alone, damage assessment was carried out for 300 workplaces and 200 vehicles.
We aim to complete damage assessments by the weekend. Regarding our citizens' damages and the damages in buildings, our state will provide all kinds of support within the framework of the instructions of our esteemed President. Let our citizens be at ease. Damage assessments for our farmers are being carried out quickly. 109 of our animals perished. Our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will provide assistance. The needs of our farmers such as feed and straw for their greenhouse tents will also be met.
“OUR TEAMS ARE RESPONDING QUICKLY TO ALL REPORTS”
For precautionary purposes in transportation, 6 routes in Eyüpsultan, Sarıyer and Şile were closed to traffic. We took this measure not to take any risk regarding possible rainfall. We continue our efforts to open our roads. There is a power outage affecting approximately 40 thousand of our citizens. Here too, we are doing this for precautionary purposes. There are around 9 thousand flood reports. Our teams are responding quickly to all reports. We will respond quickly with the vehicles we request from inside and outside the city. By Saturday at the latest, we will demonstrate the will to eliminate the damage from all floods.
Search and rescue, AFAD, Police, fire brigade, and gendarmerie will be by our nation's side. We will eliminate the effects of the disaster in terms of repairing damages and moving belongings. Heavy rainfall made its impact felt in Kocaeli and Sakarya. In Sakarya, 140 kg of rainfall per square meter fell. One house collapsed and one bridge collapsed. Stream floods are occurring in our Başiskele and Kartepe districts. Here too, our state is in the field. Our friends will work house by house, shop by shop until not a single affected citizen remains.
“CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT AGENDA ITEM OF TODAY, NOT THE FUTURE”
Every disaster and troubling event we experience in Istanbul reminds us once again of the bitter truth. Climate change is now the most important agenda item of today, not the future. It is very important that our cities are prepared for such disasters. Climate change affects the precipitation regime. We can encounter intense rainfall in very short periods. If we must speak with the data of the past, we cannot plan the future. We are obliged to plan our cities not according to past disasters but by taking into account the more severe weather events we will face in the future.
“WE ARE IN THE FIELD WITH ALL OUR UNITS ON PREPARING RISKY BUILDINGS FOR DISASTERS”
The positions we hold and the duties we take impose responsibilities on us. At this point, our state will provide all necessary support to all our municipalities. Making Istanbul a city resilient to all disasters is a very important issue. We are obliged to do this. This should be Istanbul's priority and only agenda. Within the framework of the instructions of our esteemed President, it stands by our fellow Istanbulites with all its means. We are in the field with all our units on preparing risky buildings for disasters. Cleaning stream beds, regular maintenance of stream rehabilitation works, and reassessing flood risks are an unpostponable matter for our municipalities.
We are obliged to act together according to today's conditions and needs. Istanbul is the apple of our eye. Istanbul's trouble is the trouble of the Republic of Turkey. In line with this obligation, we must work together. I pray that God protects our country and nation from all kinds of disasters, and I greet you all with respect.