Istanbul begins tearing down streamside structures to curb flood damage

On Oct. 17, officials began tearing down structures along a stream in the Ayazağa neighbourhood of Istanbul’s Asian side to make way for flood-mitigation projects. Governor Davut Gül said the demolition will include 16 shops, a sports field, a Quran school and adjoining homes, allowing the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration to work on a 1,700-meter river section. The city continues to search for three missing individuals—two Turkish nationals and a Turkmen citizen—using drones and sonar in the waterways and the Golden Horn.

In nearby Ağva, the Yeşilçay river overflowed, prompting rescues and evacuations, while orange weather alerts were issued for ten provinces and yellow alerts for 26. Trade Minister Ömer Bolat pledged 80 million Turkish Liras in cash support for flood-hit merchants, and over 5,000 people have already received emergency payments of 10,000 liras each, with further compensation slated to start on Oct. 19. Schools are set to reopen on that date, and residents were urged to avoid non-essential travel and to call emergency services if threatened by flooding or landslides.