Entangled in corruption investigations, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) is under fire for skyrocketing fees for everything from public transportation to water bills.
On Friday, the municipality, now controlled by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), announced an additional 10% increase in public transportation fares, adding to the woes of Istanbul residents who favor rapid-transit buses and the metro to avoid worsening traffic.
Figures comparing fees imposed by the IBB under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which ran the city until Ekrem Imamoğlu’s victory in 2019, highlight the astounding prices residents now have to pay for water, public transportation and parking.
For instance, the unit price of water rose from TL 4 under the AK Party to TL 60, a 1,500% increase. In public transportation, the price of a single full-fare ticket increased from TL 2.60 to TL 46.20 following last Friday’s hike, representing a total increase of 1,676% compared with the pre-Imamoğlu period. The cost of one hour of parking at lots operated by the municipality’s subsidiary ISPARK rose from TL 6 to TL 220, a 3,666% increase.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI), the water utility run by the municipality, is struggling with mounting debts. It has sold several properties expropriated by former mayors for projects aimed at protecting water basins. The utility had TL 350 million in domestic debt in 2019, and its debt stock rose to more than TL 40.4 billion in 2025.
