Existing metro tunnels in Türkiye can provide emergency shelter for approximately 1.4 million people, the country’s infrastructure minister said on Nov. 16, amid the tightened regulations on national shelter constructions.
Earlier this month, Türkiye revised and strengthened its rules on civilian shelters, introducing mandatory shelter construction in newly built residential buildings above a certain size, as well as in stadiums and various public facilities, according to a regulation published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 7.
These measures are intended to enhance preparedness for both natural disasters and extraordinary events such as conflicts.
“This step in sheltering underscores the importance of metro tunnels as critical protection points for civilians in emergencies,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said in a written statement.
“Across Türkiye, there are 687 kilometers of metro tunnels. Existing tunnels have the capacity to provide emergency shelter for approximately 1,374,000 people. In Istanbul alone, metro tunnels exceeding 500 kilometers form a robust shelter infrastructure.”
Uraloğlu emphasized that new metro lines will be designed with shelter capabilities in mind from the planning stage and existing tunnels will be retrofitted to meet the same standards.
He also noted that railway tunnels and turnout structures could serve as shelter or evacuation corridors when necessary.
“Our double-track railway tunnels are not only used for logistical transport but can also accommodate emergency shelter, protection and evacuation purposes,” Uraloğlu added.
“These tunnels, with a functional width of 12.5 meters and a height of 8 meters, are spacious enough for two M60 tanks to pass side by side — or even for an F-16 aircraft to fit.”
In September, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Academy (MİA) urged the authorities to enhance its civil defense infrastructure — particularly shelters and early warning systems — to prepare for threats.
