VZCZCXYZ0007
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIT #0344 2540511
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADAF1AC1 WSC8964-695)
P 110511Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9169
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000344 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OSCE PGOV PHUM PREL TU
SUBJECT: FLASH FLOOD AFTERMATH 
 
¶1. (U) During the evening of September 8 and the morning of 
September 9, flash floods in Istanbul and surrounding areas 
left 31 confirmed dead, nine missing, and damages that may 
exceed USD 100 million.  Affected areas were Tekirdag, a 
province west of Istanbul, and the western Istanbul 
neighborhoods of Ikitelli, Silivri, Catalca, Kucukcekmece, 
and Bahcelievler.  Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas publicly 
attributed the flooding to the heaviest rains experienced in 
the region in over 100 years.  He said in certain areas, over 
"200 kg/square meter" of rain fell during a period of two 
hours.  Those drowned during the flood included morning 
commuters trapped in busses, truck drivers sleeping in their 
trucks, and individuals swept from their gardens.  There are 
no known Amcit casualties.  Istanbul Chamber of Commerce 
President Murat Yalcintas estimated the economic damage to be 
at least 150 million TL (USD 100 million).  Heavier rain is 
forecast in the coming days. Istanbul Consul General Sharon 
Wiener called Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler to ex 
press the USG's condolences. 
 
 
¶2. (U) As often happens in Istanbul after a natural disaster, 
opposition parties and pundits blamed local officials for the 
tragedy.  CHP Parliamentarians Group Deputy Chairman and 
former Istanbul Mayoral candidate Kemal Kiliedaroglu called 
on the mayor to resign.  Istanbul Technical University 
Professor and former advisor to the Istanbul Disease 
Coordination Center (AKOM) Mikdat Kadioglu criticized local 
officials for poor planning, stating that areas vulnerable to 
floods should have been evacuated rather than only warned of 
the risk of flooding.  Those in power also complained. 
Istanbul Mayor Topbas, echoed by Environment Minister Veysel 
Eroglu (former Director of Istanbul's Water and Sewage 
Administration), lamented the lack of adequate 
infrastructure, and Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim 
(former Director of Istanbul's Seaferry Administration) 
protested that illegal urban development took place in a 
flood zone without proper infrastructure.  Yildirim said that 
government officials and citizens were 
equally responsible for the tragedy.  Yilmaz Ozdil from 
Hurriet newspaper and Gungor Mengi of Vatan both wrote 
commentaries that noted the above mentioned officials, as 
well as current Prime Minister Erdogan, were all serving in 
Istanbul during a similar flood in the same area in 1995. 
They were also running Istanbul while Istanbul experienced 
large scale unregulated urbanization. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment: The flood may trigger a familiar cycle in 
the intersection of local politics and natural disasters 
exacerbated by poor local government policies.  In 1995, the 
recently affected area experienced similar flooding.  Then as 
now, Istanbul officials were harshly criticized in some 
quarters and improved infrastructure was demanded. However, 
soon thereafter the issue evaporated from the media and the 
lips of opposition politicians. Some of the local Istanbul 
leaders who dealt with the 1995 flood have now risen to 
national leadership positions in Ankara.  As in the aftermath 
of the region's deadly earthquake in 1999, significant 
measures were not taken to improve public infrastructure, nor 
did voters sanction local politicians in the next election. 
WIENER