Turkey to build bomb shelters across the country

Turkey has started building bomb shelters in all 81 provinces, a source familiar with the plans told Middle East Eye.

According to the source, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved the project during a cabinet meeting in June.

At the time Iran and Israel were at war, with Israel hitting Iran with air strikes and Tehran responding with ballistic missiles.

The Turkish Housing Development Administration (TOKI) has been tasked with carrying out the construction.

Last month a report prepared by the Turkish National Intelligence Academy on Israel’s 12-day war with Iran recommended that the government establish early warning systems and build well-equipped shelters.

The report suggested making use of underground metro stations in major cities and implementing measures to minimise civilian casualties in the event of a regional conflict.

Turkish officials were particularly struck by Israel’s extensive network of bomb shelters in major cities, which allowed civilians to take refuge during bombardments.

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On Tuesday, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported that the goal of the initiative is “to create safe areas where civilians can be protected in case of possible wars or disasters”, including nuclear threats.

The channel noted that Turkey currently lacks adequate shelter infrastructure and that existing facilities fail to meet basic requirements.

The Ministry of Urbanisation has also studied international examples such as Japan and Switzerland, NTV reported, adding that construction has already begun in certain cities, including the capital, Ankara.

Turkey’s Shelter Regulation, enacted in 1987, requires shelters in buildings above a certain size. In practice, however, the regulation has often been ignored, with many designated shelter areas being used instead as parking lots or storage spaces.