Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has acknowledged significant disruptions in mobile communications immediately following the earthquake that struck İstanbul yesterday.
The 6.2 magnitude earthquake caused no fatalities or building collapses, but telecommunications were nearly paralyzed in the metropolis of 15 million people.
The first 15 minutes after the quake saw serious outages across GSM networks due to a surge in usage, the minister said, attributing the disruption to people turning to voice calls instead of internet-based services.
“Despite our efforts to provide guidance, many people tried to communicate through regular voice calls, which placed a heavy burden on the infrastructure," Uraloğlu told reporters after a meeting on zero-emission transportation planning in Ankara.
He added that there were no issues with internet-based services such as messaing apps and the problems with voice calls were eventually resolved. “We were in constant coordination with the [authorities] and all three major operators, and we managed to restore normal service.”
Uraloğlu said the incident revealed the challenges of handling such high volumes solely through voice networks. “This has been a learning experience for us. We’ve gathered substantial information from our teams.
"This afternoon, we’ll meet in İstanbul with technical teams from the three operators to discuss how to prevent a recurrence and address any deficiencies.”
When reminded of the communication breakdown during the 2023 earthquakes that claimed over 50,000 lives, Uraloğlu said the “biggest penalty” for operators would be the obligation to make new investments.
Flight prices
On transport infrastructure, Uraloğlu noted that there were no reported issues with maritime structures. Flights were briefly halted at İstanbul and Sabiha Gökçen airports for inspections but later resumed.
Regarding a reported spike in flight ticket prices, the minister said that airfares could not exceed the ceiling rate, except for business class seats.
“After the earthquake, people instinctively tried to leave İstanbul,” he said, noting that demand prompted Turkish Airlines and Pegasus to reduce fares to 1,750 liras.
“We can even offer free transport when needed, that’s clear,” Uraloğlu added. “There’s a perception that prices spiked, but the ceiling fares were never exceeded.”
He urged anyone who believes ticket prices surpassed the legal cap to report it, saying action would be taken if necessary.
An inquiry by the T24 news site on flight booking websites showed that business class fares rose to as much as 9,000 liras, while economy class tickets reached up to 4,900 liras following the quake (1 US dollar = 38.32 Turkish liras). (VC/VK)
