Ministers visit Istanbul flood zone: “Four of our citizens are still missing”

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Environment Minister Murat Kurum visited the flood-hit Ayazağa neighborhood of Sarıyer. Çiftçi said four people are still missing and that 9,850 emergency calls have been received in Istanbul.

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi and Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum visited Ayazağa in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district, one of the areas hit hardest by the floods, and made statements.

“Four of our citizens are still missing; we are trying to get news,” Çiftçi said. He said missing person reports were initially filed for five people, but one turned up on their own and had been unreachable because their phone battery died.

9,850 calls, 46,000 personnel

Çiftçi said 9,850 verified emergency calls had been received by the 112 emergency line in Istanbul so far, most of which had been responded to. He said 46,000 personnel were deployed in Istanbul and about 60,000 nationwide, calling it the biggest flood disaster since 1942. He said he would travel on to Karasu in Sakarya province.

“We will meet whatever our citizens need”

Kurum said about 273 kilograms of rain per square meter had fallen, the highest rainfall in 83 years. “All units of our state have been working from the very first moment,” he said. “We will carry out assessments and, after the disaster, meet whatever our citizens need.” He added that consultations would be held on fixing infrastructure shortcomings and opening covered stream sections.