Snow grips Istanbul, 'more to come'

ISTANBUL

A long-awaited snowfall has finally hit Istanbul, blanketing the European and Asian sides of the Turkish metropolis, but it will increase its intensity with the effect of high wind during the evening hours on March 12.

Reassuring residents of their preparedness against the adverse effect of the adverse weather conditions, authorities stepped up their measures in full force so that a chaotic experience like in January would not happen again.

Speaking at a press conference held after his examinations at the operations control center at Istanbul Airport, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoğlu said that the efforts to combat snow with all the teams continue in an extraordinary way, especially in the Marmara Region.

Noting that the fight against snow continues on the Northern Marmara and the TEM highways and traffic flow for heavy vehicles is in control, the minister underlined there are no restrictions on the roads.

“Hopefully, we will continue this controlled struggle until early on March 13,” Karaismailoğlu said, pointing out that the intensity of snowfall may increase in the coming hours, especially starting from the evening hours of March 12.

“There seems to be a troublesome situation between 6 p.m. on March 12 evening and 6 a.m. on March 13, and we took our measures for it. I hope we will complete this difficult process with all our teams,” he added.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also made statements about the measures taken in the city against snowfall.

Snow plowing and salting teams have been working at 465 points on the 4,023-kilometer road network for which the municipality is responsible, and 220,000 tons of salt and 1,290 tons of special solutions are in stock, İmamoğlu said.

“Every precaution was taken to prevent disruption of public transportation. Metrobuses will work 24 hours during the snowfall, and the metros will work until 2 a.m.,” the mayor noted, adding that public buses are also to make 54,000 daily trips with a total of 5,300 vehicles.

“Homeless citizens will be hosted in our facilities and they will be provided with health, shelter, nutrition and care support. Special teams will distribute food for stray animals to be fed,” İmamoğlu noted.

Meanwhile, the country’s flag-carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and its budget subsidiary AnadoluJet have canceled 180 flights from and to Istanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport on March 11.

While the aircraft that will land at both airports in the morning were waiting in the air for short periods due to the runway cleaning works, the planes that will take off entered the de-icing queue, according to Demirören News Agency.