The Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) General Assembly convened its November session under the leadership of Deputy Speaker Gökhan Gümüşdağ at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Saraçhane building, addressing critical budgetary issues and the contentious topic of ongoing water tariff hikes.
ISKI Acting General Manager Vahit Doğan presented the institution’s budget forecast for 2026, outlining an expenditure budget of approximately TL 99 billion ($2.34 billion), complemented by an estimated revenue budget of TL 94 billion. Doğan detailed the revenue breakdown, emphasizing that about 82% of income is derived from water sales, 10% from tax revenue shares allocated by the central government and the remaining 8% from other income streams. This marks an increase from the TL 82 billion revenue projected for 2025, reflecting growing operational demands.
On the expenditure side, Doğan explained that 43% of the 2026 budget is allocated for capital expenses, 39% for procurement of goods and services, 9% for personnel and social security costs, with the remaining 9% covering other expenses. The budget represents a rise from TL 88 billion in 2025 to TL 99 billion in 2026. Investment expenditures for 2025 are anticipated to reach TL 37 billion, constituting 45% of the total budget realization for that year, highlighting the scale of ongoing infrastructure development and maintenance efforts.
The issue of successive water price increases elicited sharp criticism during the meeting. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) council member Abdulkadir Altınhan emphasized water’s status as a public right and recalled opposition pledges from six years prior promising a 40% reduction in water prices upon coming to power. Contrasting these commitments with reality, Altınhan noted that water tariffs have been raised 16 times in six years, escalating from TL 4 per cubic meter to TL 46 today, an increase exceeding 1,000%.
Altınhan also criticized the justification provided by officials, citing inflation and rising energy, fuel and foreign exchange costs as reasons for continuous tariff hikes. He challenged this narrative by pointing out that the rates of increase in electricity, dollar and petroleum prices from 2020 to 2025 were far outpaced by the increase in water tariffs, which soared by 1,065%.
The General Assembly then considered a proposal to continue monthly water price adjustments based on a formula averaging the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Domestic Producer Price Index (DPPI), a policy implemented since November 2024. Despite unanimous opposition from the Cumhur Alliance council members, the proposal was approved by majority vote, authorizing the continuation of automatic monthly water tariff adjustments from Jan. 1, 2026, until further decisions are made.
In addition, the assembly approved significant increases in various ISKI service fees for 2026. The fee for water service reconnection rose by 34%, from TL 379 to TL 507. Vacuum truck services (vidanjör) saw a near doubling, with a 94.5% increase from TL 929 lira to TL 1,807. Fees for building project inspections rose by 15.66% to TL 1,019, network project inspection and approval fees increased by 16.44% to TL 9,664, and the review and approval fee for network survey projects was raised by 17% to TL 19,850.
These tariff adjustments will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, marking a significant recalibration of the cost structure for water consumption and related services in Istanbul.
