Istanbul Floods Kill Four as Development Faces Scrutiny

Floodwater killed four people in Istanbul, including a 66-year-old man whose body officials found Friday, as questions grew about development near waterways. The state-run Anadolu Agency reported that, in the 48 hours up to Thursday morning, the city received more rain than the combined historical average for September and October.

Deaths and Damage

The downpour hit Wednesday night. Floodwater poured into homes and businesses, covered streets and parks, and swept away vehicles; many ended up piled at the bottom of hills. Authorities had reported three deaths before they found the man's body Friday. Among them was a teenager electrocuted in the storm.

Istanbul has 16 million residents. Flooding struck homes, businesses, streets and parks across the city, while authorities received 9,850 reports of flood-related damage and other issues. Before Friday's discovery, four people remained missing, Mustafa Ciftci told reporters in the Ayazaga neighborhood of Sariyer.

Ciftci, Turkey's interior minister, described the disaster during a visit to an area the rain hit hardest. “We are trying our best to help our citizens, but we are also experiencing the biggest flood disaster since 1942,” he said. The death toll reached four after officials found a body under a bridge in Istanbul's Sariyer district.

Development and the State Response

Residents raised concerns that urban development near waterways had worsened the flooding. Murat Kurum, the minister for the environment, urbanization and climate change, accompanied Ciftci to the flood-hit neighborhood and said addressing the problem was “essential.” The account did not specify what measures officials would take to address development near waterways.

Kurum also linked the floods to climate change. “Combating climate change is not a choice, but a necessity,” he said. He is due to chair the U.N. climate change conference, COP31, next month in the Turkish city of Antalya. His comments identified climate change as a factor, but didn't set out a particular policy or funding plan.

Cleanup and Official Statements

Authorities said 46,000 personnel were working to clear debris and help residents in Istanbul. They assigned the workforce to immediate cleanup and assistance as reports of damage and other issues reached 9,850. The minister described efforts to help residents, but the report gave no breakdown of personnel roles or resources allocated to the work.

The available figures describe a citywide disaster affecting residences and businesses, with vehicles displaced and streets and parks covered by floodwater. They also record the scale of the official response: 46,000 personnel, 9,850 reports, and four deaths. Officials addressed both climate change and urban development near waterways, but left the specific actions to reduce those risks unstated in the reported remarks.