As millions of people travel across Türkiye to celebrate Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, the Interior Ministry has stepped up nationwide efforts to ensure road safety, following a troubling rise in traffic accidents.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 26 people lost their lives in crashes during the first three days of the holiday, urging all drivers to exercise greater caution to prevent further tragedies.
On the first day of Eid al-Adha, more than 2.2 million vehicles were recorded on Türkiye’s highways, according to Yerlikaya. In a statement released Sunday, he said 2,232,715 vehicles were tracked on highways across the country, while 12,407 drivers were penalized for speeding, a figure that accounts for only 0.56% of the total traffic flow.
“I would like to personally thank the 99.44% of drivers who complied with speed limits and traffic rules,” Yerlikaya said on social media, underlining that the vast majority of motorists contributed to a safer travel environment despite the high volume.
However, 692 traffic accidents occurred on the first day alone, resulting in seven deaths at the scene and 1,128 injuries. Yerlikaya extended his condolences to the victims’ families and wished a swift recovery to those injured.
He reiterated that inspections conducted by police and gendarmerie teams are not intended to penalize drivers, but to save lives and prevent tragedies, especially during peak travel periods like Eid. “We don’t conduct these inspections to issue fines, but to avoid accidents and ensure no family is torn apart,” he stated.
The situation grew even more concerning on the second day of Eid, when Yerlikaya reported 683 additional accidents, leading to nine more fatalities and 1,143 injuries. The toll for the holiday’s first three days now stands at 2,238 traffic accidents, with 26 fatalities at the scene and 3,590 people injured.
“These 26 people left behind grieving families and loved ones,” Yerlikaya lamented, calling on all citizens to strictly observe traffic rules. “Let’s not allow sorrow to cloud our Eid celebrations. Roads are meant to reunite us, not separate us.”
He also provided updated figures for enforcement actions during the first three days: 1,351,653 vehicles were checked by traffic teams. “Our goal is not to punish, but to reduce accidents and bring the number of fatalities to zero,” he said.
Yerlikaya closed his remarks by extending his prayers to those who lost their lives and wishing recovery to the injured. He urged everyone to remain vigilant, adding, “Let’s protect our joy, our families, and each other by following traffic laws.”
