The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's (IBB) council on Wednesday debated the Audit Commission’s 2025 report, with opposition members alleging widespread irregularities, mounting debt and declining service quality, while municipal officials defended their record.
The second session of the April council meetings, chaired by Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan, was held at the municipality’s headquarters in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district.
During the session, Muhammet Kaynar, a council member from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and a member of the Audit Commission, said the body had identified a total of 346 irregularities over the past five years, including 44 findings in the 2025 report alone.
Kaynar argued that previously identified irregularities had not been addressed by the municipal administration. “Despite these findings, the same irregular practices have continued,” he said, adding that the municipality had failed to provide sufficient explanations regarding past audit results.
He also highlighted the municipality’s financial structure, saying that of the TL 275.4 billion (approximately $8.5 billion) in revenue recorded in 2025, approximately 86.6% came from transfers from the central government. The figure represents a 53.1% increase compared with the previous year, he said.
“Despite this level of support from the central administration, there is no visible improvement in services,” Kaynar said.
Kaynar added that the municipality had sold real estate assets worth nearly TL 5 billion in 2025 but claimed this had not translated into improved public services.
He further criticized the administration for failing to provide detailed accounting records requested by the commission. According to Kaynar, journal entries related to 2025 financial accounts were not submitted, preventing the commission from examining whether project-based borrowing was used appropriately, how much credit had been utilized and how those funds were spent.
Addressing the municipality’s debt, Kaynar said total liabilities had risen sharply over recent years. As of Dec. 31, 2025, IBB’s total debt stood at approximately TL 261.9 billion, up from TL 26.7 billion at the end of 2018.
“In seven years, the debt has increased by nearly 1,000%,” he said.
Including affiliated institutions, the combined debt of IBB, the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) and the public transport authority IETT reached TL 336.9 billion, Kaynar said, adding that data on the debts of 31 municipal companies had not been shared with the commission.
The council also discussed IETT’s 2025 activity report, drawing criticism from opposition parties over public transport performance.
Dursun Çağlayan, deputy group chairperson of the Great Unity Party (BBP), said the report reflected systemic management problems rather than isolated shortcomings.
“There is not a single issue here, but a structural problem,” Çağlayan said, citing findings in a report by Türkiye’s Court of Accounts, which identified 68 issues, including six deemed critical.
He said service disruptions, delays and declining passenger comfort were highlighted in the report. “Citizens go to bus stops, but the buses do not arrive,” he said.
Çağlayan also pointed to a lack of investment in new vehicles and inadequate maintenance of the existing fleet, saying the institution itself had acknowledged that it had not reached its vehicle procurement targets.
“The system is being managed on a day-to-day basis rather than with long-term planning,” he said. “The financial structure is unsustainable, service quality is declining, and transparency is lacking.”
Members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) echoed similar concerns, focusing on unmet investment targets and worsening traffic conditions.
Council member Şule Hayal said the IETT report showed that several key goals had not been achieved, including the procurement of new buses and the expansion of electric vehicle systems.
“Out of a targeted 555 new vehicles, none were purchased. Out of a planned 50 electric bus conversions, none were completed,” she said.
Hayal also criticized the municipality for failing to increase the number of sheltered bus stops, noting that none of the 300 planned stops had been built.
She said the lack of investment in transportation had contributed to worsening traffic in Istanbul, citing international data indicating that the city ranks among the most congested in the world.
“Residents spend an average of 118 hours a year, nearly five days in traffic,” she said.
Traffic congestion levels have exceeded 90%, she added, transforming what was once rush-hour congestion into a persistent, all-day problem.
Hayal also raised concerns about unpaid dues to private public bus operators, saying they had faced financial hardship due to delays in receiving payments.
“We reiterate our call for the necessary steps to be taken to ensure that these payments are made and that operators are no longer victimized,” she said.
She noted that the cost of public transport had risen significantly, with ticket prices increasing from TL 2.60 in 2019 to TL 42 in 2026, a rise of more than 1,500%.
Despite the sharp fare increases, revenues have not kept pace with expenditures, remaining at roughly one-third of total costs, she said.
