What happened
Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum led a disaster coordination meeting in Istanbul following severe rainfall and flooding. The ministry said three people had died and that search operations for missing people were continuing.
According to Kurum, Istanbul received 186 kg of rain per square metre in 24 hours and 273 kg/m² in total. He described this as the highest rainfall recorded in the city for 83 years. Emergency services relocated 3,057 residents to safe areas, with some accommodated in guest facilities.
The ministry reported 48 landslides, the collapse of 53 retaining walls across 39 districts, and 9,755 emergency notifications. Authorities had responded to 7,800 of those reports at the time of the statement.
In Ayazağa, initial assessments covered damage affecting 300 businesses and 200 vehicles. The ministry said it aimed to complete broader damage assessments by the weekend. It also reported roughly 9,000 flood notifications and power cuts affecting about 40,000 people, including 30,000 on Istanbul’s European side and 10,000 on the Asian side.
Why it matters
The flooding has disrupted commercial premises, transport routes and electricity supply in Istanbul. Six road routes in Eyüpsultan, Sarıyer and Şile were closed, while crews worked to reopen them.
For municipalities, the minister called for action on riverbed maintenance, watercourse improvements, stormwater drainage and reassessment of flood risks. He said central government, local authorities and scientific institutions needed to work together to improve urban resilience.
The ministry linked the event to the need to update infrastructure and urban planning for more intense weather conditions. Businesses affected by the flooding are among those awaiting the outcome of damage assessments and potential support for property losses.
What's next
Officials said rainfall was expected to return to parts of Istanbul, particularly the European side, the following morning and continue across the city on Saturday. A yellow weather warning remained active for Istanbul and 24 other provinces. Orange warnings were in force for Zonguldak and Düzce.
The ministry said damage assessments were targeted for completion by the weekend, while emergency teams would continue work until flood impacts had been addressed.
