Turkey: Progressive opening of Istanbul New Airport from October 25 /update 1

Event

Istanbul New Airport is currently scheduled to open on Thursday, October 25, and become fully operational on November 1. Observers had feared the airport's opening, initially scheduled for October 29, would be delayed due to protests by construction workers.

Context

A Turkish court ordered 24 workers to be placed in temporary detention on September 19, following a series of protests denouncing working and living conditions at the airport construction site, as well as a number of related deaths. Thousands of people reportedly took part in the protests, which were broken up by riot police. These demonstrations continued throughout the following weekend.

Istanbul New Airport, located north of Istanbul in the district of Arnavutköy, will replace Istanbul Atatürk Airport and assume the IATA airport code IST. Once fully operational, it is expected to handle about 90 million passengers per year. 

Advice

Individuals in Istanbul are advised to contact their airlines for more information and avoid all protests due to the risk of violence.