Istanbul Municipality

Turkey's Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum has refuted recent claims about people, especially foreigners from oil-rich Arab countries, buying land from the Kanal Istanbul area, also saying that the Istanbul Municipality should also be part of the project.

The Istanbul Municipality has challenged the result of a concession tender that was held for idle warehouses at the city's landmark Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci train stations.

The Istanbul Municipality is literally watching over the megacity's water resources to make sure they are clean and safe for its more than 15 million residents.

The traffic congestion level in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, declined to 49 percent in 2016 from 62 percent in 2013, according to an official from the Istanbul Municipality. 

The Istanbul Municipality will soon introduce a deposit scheme for plastic bottles in a move to encourage recycling. "

The Istanbul Municipality has dismissed recent reports that a project for the construction of a seagull-shaped transfer center in the Kabataş neighborhood was cancelled. 

The 13th Istanbul Tulip Festival opened on April 3 at the Emirgan Park with the participation of Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin. As part of the festival, the Istanbul Municipality has decorated many parts of the city with tulips. The festival will continue with various events throughout April. 

Members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Istanbul Municipality Council have filed a criminal complaint against former Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbaş and current mayor Mevlüt Uysal, claiming that the recent cancelation of subway tenders led to public losses of at least 1 billion Turkish Liras.

The Istanbul Municipality on Dec. 14 unanimously approved the renaming of 192 streets across the metropolitan area that may bring to mind the network of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, accused of being behind the July 2016 coup attempt.

The Istanbul Municipality has taken a series of precautions in an attempt to control and prevent noise pollution throughout the city, with transport routes being the first priority.

The municipality prepared various "Strategic Noise Maps" in the city focusing on highways, airports, railway systems and industrial facilities in Istanbul, authorities said in a statement.