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Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum said emergency units responded on the spot to 7,800 of the 9,755 reports that reached the coordination center set up for the floods in Istanbul, where 53 retaining walls collapsed across 39 districts because of the heavy rain.

Speaking after an Istanbul Disaster Coordination Meeting at the AFAD provincial directorate, Kurum said three people died in the city and search teams were still looking for six missing people in Ayazağa and Kocaeli. He reported that 3,057 residents were rescued and moved to safe areas.

Kurum calls for a disaster-resilient Istanbul

Kurum said every disaster in Istanbul reminded the authorities of a harsh reality, and that climate change was today's most pressing issue rather than a future one. Events in Brazil and Nepal recently were the clearest signs of it, he said. "Climate change is affecting rainfall patterns and we are now facing much heavier downpours over very short, unpredictable periods. We cannot plan the future with past data, that is now plain," he said.

Cities had to be planned not only against past disasters but also against more severe weather events to come, Kurum said, calling the effort to make Istanbul resilient to all disasters a matter of national security. "Istanbul is the apple of our eye. Any problem in Istanbul is a problem of the Republic of Turkey," he said.

Kurum urged municipalities to clean stream beds, maintain stream improvement works regularly, reinforce rainwater drainage systems and reassess flood risks, describing these as responsibilities that can no longer be postponed. Rainfall calculations made over 50- to 100-year horizons have proved wrong, he said, and central government, local authorities and the scientific community must act together.

The ministry is on the ground with all its units to prepare risky housing for disasters, Kurum said, adding that the state, acting on the president's instructions, stands with the people of Istanbul with all its resources.

Key takeaways

• Teams responded immediately to 7,800 of the 9,755 reports received by the coordination center, and 53 retaining walls collapsed across 39 districts
• Three people died in Istanbul and six remain missing in Ayazağa and Kocaeli, with 3,057 residents rescued and moved to safety
• Istanbul recorded its heaviest rainfall in 83 years, with 273 kilograms per square meter falling in parts of the city
• A red alert remains in force for Istanbul and 24 provinces, with rain expected to continue through Saturday