Transport chaos has gripped Turkey due to bad weather conditions over the past few days. Temperatures were unusually low in many parts of the country, including the metropolis of Istanbul, home to the airports “Istanbul“ (on the European side of the city) and “Sabiha Gökçen“ (on the Asian side).
Siberian cold has gripped Central and Eastern Anatolia in recent days, and all of Istanbul was covered in snow, which is a relatively unusual occurrence for Turkey's largest city.
The situation was also complicated throughout yesterday at the country's airports.
The national Turkish carrier “Turkish Airlines“ announced that a number of flights had to be canceled due to bad weather conditions. Flights of the low-cost companies „Pegasus“ and „Ajet“ were also canceled.
For three days, it has not been possible to operate the morning flights of „Turkish Airlines“ to Sofia.
Yesterday, the morning flight to the Bulgarian capital was realized, but with a very long delay. The „Turkish Airlines“ plane from Sofia to Istanbul subsequently took off with about two hours and 40 minutes of delay.
Throughout Sunday, the Turkish national airline was forced to cancel many flights - some international and most domestic flights to cities in Eastern Anatolia.
Due to the huge delays of the realized flights, the „Turkish Airlines“ counter at „Istanbul“ airport There were queues of people who had to rebook their tickets because they missed their next flight, BTA's correspondent in Ankara saw.
Despite the complicated situation, most passengers remained calm.
The authorities had recommended that citizens monitor airline announcements to avoid unnecessary travel to the airport until conditions improve.
Many flights were canceled or delayed yesterday at Sabiha Gökçen Airport as well.
Some flights from Istanbul Airport are running late today. So far, one flight has been canceled - to Sinop (Central Turkey), according to the Istanbul Airport website.
Meanwhile, security measures at airports in the country remain tightened. At Ankara's Esenboga International Airport, baggage is also being checked for people arriving in the capital.
The weather conditions are starting to improve today. Temperatures are expected to rise significantly, the Turkish Meteorological Service said.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul announced that today will be a school day in the city.
“I know you love a long vacation, but from today the weather conditions are improving, so it will be a school day,“ he wrote jokingly on his profile on the social network Ex.