Ankara and Istanbul will face serious problems in providing drinking water, as Turkey is experiencing its driest period in 52 years, according to a report published on Monday by the Posta newspaper, citing estimates by Jeyhun Ozcelik, associate professor and head of the Department of Water Resources at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Mugla University.

"The first nine months of 2025 saw the driest period in Turkey in 52 years. Precipitation has decreased by 26 percent compared to the seasonal norm. This year, 520 millimeters of precipitation per square meter was expected across the country, but only about 380 millimeters fell," the publication quotes him as saying.

“In the central Anatolia region, this figure is about 36 percent, and in the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean regions, the rainfall deficit is about 30 percent. A 26 percent rainfall deficit in Turkey over nine months means that agricultural yields across the country will decline significantly,” Ozcelik said.

According to him, major problems with drinking water supply are inevitable in settlements and megacities with inadequate urban infrastructure and no or insufficient reservoirs.

"Currently, the capacity of our reservoirs in Ankara is about 13.3 percent. This is quite low, and it is clear that serious difficulties will arise,“ he said.

”The water level in the Tahtali Dam, the largest dam in Izmir in the Aegean region, has fallen to 10.1 percent. The situation in Istanbul is the same as last year...According to June data, the rainfall deficit across the country is 63 percent. The Marmara Sea and southeastern Anatolia are among the most critical regions. The rainfall deficit in the Marmara Sea region is 94 percent, and in the southeastern Anatolia region, it is 88 percent," Ozcelik said.