Emergency preparedness in Turkey: what the official rules say

Short answer. In Turkey, AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, part of the Ministry of the Interior) asks every household to keep a "Disaster and Emergency Bag" for the first 72 hours after an earthquake ¹. Sirens use four signals ², fallout shelters are mandatory in new buildings above set size thresholds ³, and 112 is the single emergency number ⁶. Rules checked on 20 October 2026.

Who is responsible for civil preparedness in Turkey?

AFAD coordinates disaster and civil defence response, and runs the national preparedness campaign "Afete Hazır Türkiye" (Disaster-Ready Turkey), which aims to prepare every individual for the first 72 hours of a disaster ⁷. Other bodies cover specific areas:

• the 112 Emergency Call Centres of the Ministry of the Interior run the single emergency number ⁶;
• the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) regulates mobile phone warnings ⁴;
• the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NDK) regulates radiation emergencies at licensed sites ⁵;
• the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change issued the 2025 amendment to the Shelter Regulation ³.

What does each Turkey page cover?

What are the key points to remember?

• Supplies. AFAD's bag covers the first 72 hours after an earthquake, until rescue teams arrive. The list gives categories and items but no quantities, except "enough drinking water for each family member" ¹.
• Sirens. Yellow warning (3-minute steady tone, possible air attack), Red alarm (3-minute rising and falling tone, air attack), Black alarm (3-minute intermittent tone, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack) and White warning (all clear, announced by radio, TV and loudspeakers) ².
• Phone alerts. A 2021 regulation obliges mobile operators to deliver free warnings by cell broadcast, CMAS, SMS and pre-call announcement ⁴. We did not find an official page confirming the system's current live operation.
• Shelters. Under the Shelter Regulation as amended on 7 November 2025, fallout shelters are mandatory in new buildings with a building permit, except notably residential buildings with fewer than 10 units ³. No national count or public shelter locator is published.
• Iodine. The 2023 regulation lists iodine tablets among protective actions and requires licensed operators to supply them, if necessary, on site ⁵. We found no public pre-distribution or over-the-counter status, so the iodine page is marked as not fully confirmed.
• Emergency number. 112 was set up so that people need one number instead of the many separate ones (155, 156, 158, 110, 177 and others) ⁶.

Where should I start?

Start with the emergency supplies page and the kit list, then learn the siren signals. Earthquakes are the scenario AFAD's bag is built around ¹, so our earthquake preparedness guide and 72-hour kit guide are useful next reads. For a household plan, see how to make a family emergency plan.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a Turkish household be ready to cope alone?

AFAD's guidance targets the first 72 hours after an earthquake, until rescue teams arrive ¹. Its national campaign uses the same 72-hour horizon ⁷.

Is there an official shelter map in Turkey?

No national shelter locator is published. The official e-Devlet and AFAD Acil tools locate disaster assembly areas, not shelters. See public shelters.

Do I have to build a shelter in my house?

Not if your building is residential with fewer than 10 independent units: those are exempt ³. Larger new buildings must include a fallout shelter. See building a shelter.

What number do I call in an emergency in Turkey?

112, the single emergency number run by the Ministry of the Interior's 112 Emergency Call Centres ⁶.

Sources

1. AFAD - Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı — Afet ve Acil Durum Çantası Nasıl Hazırlanmalı? — https://www.afad.gov.tr/afet-ve-acil-durum-cantasi-nasil-hazirlanmali (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. AFAD - Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı — İkaz Alarm İşaretleri — https://www.afad.gov.tr/ikaz-alarm-isaretleri (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Resmî Gazete / Çevre, Şehircilik ve İklim Değişikliği Bakanlığı — Sığınak Yönetmeliğinde Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Yönetmelik (Resmî Gazete, 7 Kasım 2025, Sayı 33070) — https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2025/11/20251107-2.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu (BTK) — Ulusal Mobil Uyarı Sisteminin Kurulmasına ve İşletimine İlişkin Yönetmelik (Resmî Gazete, 26 Şubat 2021, Sayı 31407) — https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/02/20210226-4.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Nükleer Düzenleme Kurumu (NDK) — Radyasyon Acil Durumlarının Yönetimi Hakkında Yönetmelik (Resmî Gazete, 16 Haziran 2023, Sayı 32223) — https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2023/06/20230616-3.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı, İller İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü — Hakkımızda - 112 Acil Çağrı Merkezi — https://www.112.gov.tr/hakkimizda (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. AFAD - Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı — Afete Hazır Türkiye — https://www.afad.gov.tr/afete-hazir-turkiye (accessed 2026-10-20)