Heavy snowfall and bad weather continue in Istanbul, BTA reported.
Turkish media reported that the complicated winter conditions paralyzed traffic at the "Sabiha Gökçen" airport on the Asian coast of the metropolis last night. Planes were forced to circle in the air for a long time due to the inability to land. Ground vehicles proved insufficient to clear the runways of snow and ice.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uralıoğlu told TV100 that 40 percent of the planned domestic and international flights from "Istanbul" airport have been canceled for today and "Sabiha Gökçen" airport.
According to him, the situation in Istanbul, Sakarya and Kocaeli is complicated. 1,700 personnel have been mobilized and 100,000 tons of salt have been provided. According to the Coast Guard, the Bosphorus has been closed to traffic in both directions since last night due to thick fog.
Two public transport buses got stuck in the Beykoz area on the Asian coast last night. The temperature last night dropped to minus 1 degree, which is unusually cold for these latitudes.
Today has been declared a non-attendance day for students, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told Turkish media. The "wooden" vacation for students continues for a second day. The governor pointed out that today, all day and night, the movement of motorized couriers in the city is prohibited until further notice.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has mobilized about 12,000 employees and 3,375 cars and equipment to combat the complicated winter situation, Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu announced to the media. Machines are cleaning the routes of the metro lines. In order to avoid people being left on the streets, the movement of the metro lines and metrobuses is extended until 2 a.m.
Teams of veterinarians have also been organized to care for stray animals. Mayor İmamoğlu called on drivers not to go out in their personal cars.
Employees in state institutions, as well as people with disabilities and pregnant women, will be considered on administrative leave. According to data from the Central Meteorological Service, the complicated winter situation will continue until the end of the week. Heavy snow is expected in all areas of the metropolis today and tomorrow. The snow cover at the Uludag winter ski resort near Bursa has reached 1 meter, local media reported.