The Turkish government has begun implementing a plan to strengthen the country’s security infrastructure nationwide. According to official Ankara, special bomb shelters will be constructed in all 81 provinces to protect civilians in the event of a possible war or emergency. This was reported by Middle East Eye, citing its source.
Reports indicate that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan approved the idea during a government meeting in June. At that time, Iran and Israel were engaged in a 12-day armed conflict. Israel carried out airstrikes against Iran, while Tehran responded with ballistic missiles.
As part of the project, Turkey’s Housing Development Administration was given direct responsibility. In addition, a report prepared by the National Intelligence Academy recommended that the government draw conclusions from the “12-day war between Israel and Iran,” implement early warning systems, and build modern, well-equipped shelters.
The report also suggested using metro stations in major cities during potential conflicts and adopting measures to minimize civilian casualties.
Sources note that Turkish officials were highly impressed by Israel’s extensive shelter network, which served as real protection for thousands of civilians during air raids.
On Tuesday, Turkey’s NTV television channel reported that the main purpose of the initiative is to create “safe zones where civilians can be protected in the event of possible wars or disasters, including nuclear threats.”
Currently, the number of shelters in Turkey does not meet the required standards. According to a regulation adopted in 1987, buildings of a certain size are required to have shelters, but in practice such areas were often used as parking lots or warehouses.
Organizations responsible for construction stated that they studied the experiences of countries like Japan and Switzerland. Reports indicate that construction of shelters has already started in some cities, including the capital Ankara.
Experts believe that this project may mark a new stage in Turkey’s security system. The public is following the initiative with great interest to see what results it will bring.
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