What happened
Turkey’s Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said the ministry, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Sarıyer Municipality had agreed to complete unfinished watercourse-improvement works in Ayazağa, a neighbourhood in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district hit by flooding after heavy rain.
According to Kurum, three people had died and search operations continued for five missing people. He visited the area with Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality acting mayor Nuri Aslan and Sarıyer Mayor Oktay Aksu.
The minister said response activities were being coordinated by the governor’s office, with disaster-management teams and local crisis centres involved. Support is to be provided for residents needing temporary accommodation or food, alongside work to clear sediment and address water damage, particularly in basement-level spaces.
The planned completion of the watercourse project is intended to serve both Ayazağa and Cendere. No delivery timetable for the works was announced.
Why it matters
The flood has renewed attention on the resilience of Istanbul’s drainage and river-corridor infrastructure. Kurum identified enclosed watercourse sections, inadequate infrastructure and unplanned urban development as factors behind inundation in the affected area.
For municipal authorities, the agreement establishes a shared commitment between national government, metropolitan government and the Sarıyer municipality on a specific piece of flood-risk infrastructure. The immediate recovery effort also highlights the exposure of buildings with below-ground areas to floodwater and sediment.
Kurum said the effects of climate change were becoming more intense and more frequent, and framed planned urban development and infrastructure provision as necessary for managing future disasters. His comments represent the ministry’s assessment of the event and its risks.
What to watch
Search and relief operations remain the near-term priority. Kurum said authorities would subsequently consult residents on durable measures for Ayazağa, Sarıyer and Istanbul. Stakeholders will need to watch for details on the scope, funding, sequencing and schedule of the watercourse works, as well as any wider drainage or planning interventions.
Read the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change statement.
