Istanbul Municipality

A 184-year-old monumental tree knocked down in a storm four years ago in Istanbul has been brought back to life as a result of comprehensive efforts by authorities.

Istanbul, Turkey's largest city by population, has joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Green Cities urban sustainability program.

The European bank will provide financial support to the construction of a new 14 km metro line connecting the east and west of the city, according to a statement from the bank on May 3. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has replaced Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan by a senior ruling party official, Mehmet Muş, and appointed Derya Yanık as the new minister for family and social services and Vedat Bilgin as the minister for labor and social security after abolishing Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry.

The Istanbul Municipality has launched a mobile application that will enable authorities to identify and locate different mosquito species in the city in a bid to check the mosquito-borne diseases in the province.

President and Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has renewed his A-team in the party following the general convention, appointing his closest aides Binali Yıldırım and Numan Kurtulmuş as the deputy leaders and four new figures to his executive board.

Turkey has transferred ownership of Istanbul's Gezi Park, the focus of anti-government protests in 2013, from municipal to national ownership, drawing criticism from local authorities who said they would challenge the decision.

With the fear of using public transit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people in Turkey's largest metropolis, Istanbul, have switched to using their personal vehicles instead, leading to high traffic density.

A fierce storm hit Turkey's largest metropolis Istanbul early on Feb. 9, damaging dozens of buildings with roofs blown away and trees lying toppled on the streets.

Following light rain, fierce storms hit Istanbul's districts on the European side, including Sultangazi, Bakırköy, Bağcılar, Beyoğlu, Kağıthane, Bayrampaşa and Esenler districts.

The rate of air pollution in Istanbul decreased by 10 percent last year compared to 2019, a Turkish academic said.

With many people spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, this has brought an improvement in air quality.

After three days of almost incessant rainfall and occasional strong winds, Istanbul awoke to a surprise snowfall on a weekend that coincided with a curfew imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.