Record-breaking rain and Istanbul's flood response dominate Turkey's weekend, a fresh storm warning keeps provinces on alert, and Turkey's UN envoy outlines concrete goals for the COP31 climate summit it will chair in November.

In this episode

• Istanbul's 48-hour rainfall exceeds its September-October average
• 46,000 personnel working nonstop on Istanbul flood response, minister says
• Interior Ministry warns of heavy rain and storms across Turkey
• Turkey's UN envoy says COP31 will aim for concrete climate outcomes

Transcript

Deniz: Good morning, and happy Saturday — it is October 17th. This is Turkey Brief Daily, I'm Deniz.

Maya: And I'm Maya. Today it's all about the rain — how much has fallen, what Turkey is doing about it, and what is still on the way. Plus, Turkey's big plans for the global climate conference.

Deniz: Let's start with the numbers, because they are striking. From the morning of October 13th to the morning of the 15th, Istanbul's 36 weather stations averaged 119.2 kilograms of rain per square meter. Now, the long-term average for September and October combined is 106.

Maya: Wait — the city got more rain in 48 hours than it normally gets in those two whole months? Exactly. And that 48-hour total is about 18 percent of Istanbul's average for the entire year.

Deniz: Right. Which brings us to the response. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi says roughly 46,000 people — AFAD staff, volunteers, coast guard, gendarmerie, municipal teams — are working around the clock in Istanbul. Four people are still being searched for.

Maya: Hm, that's a huge mobilization. Çiftçi and Environment Minister Murat Kurum visited Ayazağa in Sarıyer, the hardest-hit area, and inspected damaged homes and businesses. Damage assessment is continuing too: 9,850 reports have been logged through the 112 emergency line.

Deniz: And the weather is not finished with Turkey yet. The Interior Ministry is warning of heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds across much of the country today.

Maya: Which areas? Rain should be locally heavy in Istanbul, then turn very heavy and severe after noon — especially on the Asian side. Yalova, Kocaeli and Sakarya are forecast to see locally very heavy rain, with storms intensifying in several regions starting in the evening. So if listeners are in Türkiye, this is a stay-safe weekend.

Deniz: Definitely. Now, one more story — and it connects. Turkey's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ahmet Yıldız, says the COP31 climate conference that Turkey will chair in November is designed to deliver concrete results, not repeat old promises.

Maya: I like that framing. Speaking at UN headquarters in New York, Yıldız said the COP31 Climate Action Agenda will bring together governments, international organizations, financial institutions, the private sector and civil society. The conference itself will be held in Antalya.

Deniz: And after a week like this one, climate action does not feel abstract at all. That's the show for today — you can read the full stories at turkeybrief dot com.

Maya: Have a calm, dry Saturday if you can. See you tomorrow!

Voices in this episode are AI-generated. Stories are based on Turkey Brief's reporting.