Passengers in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir will be able to ride several state-run rail lines free of charge on Thursday, 29 October, when Türkiye marks Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı), the anniversary of the founding of the Republic in 1923.
The decision was set out in a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette (Resmi Gazete), the country’s journal of record for laws and regulations, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
Which lines are covered
The free rides apply to five rail services operated under the Transport Ministry and the state railways rather than by city councils. In Istanbul they are Marmaray, the commuter line that runs under the Bosphorus between Halkalı on the European side and Gebze on the Asian side; the Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme rail line along the historic peninsula; and the Gayrettepe-Istanbul Airport-Halkalı metro, the rail link to the city’s main international airport.
Ankara’s Başkentray suburban line and İzmir’s İZBAN commuter rail, which runs north-south through the city along the Gulf of İzmir, are also included.
The published decision covers only these lines. Municipal metro, tram, bus and ferry services run by the city councils in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir are not part of this decree, and any free travel on those networks would have to be announced separately by each municipality. Travellers should check local announcements before assuming a ride is free.
What it means for residents and visitors
For visitors flying in or out of Istanbul Airport on the holiday, the measure means the metro connection between Gayrettepe, the airport and Halkalı can be used without paying a fare that day. Foreign residents who commute on Marmaray or İZBAN will also save on the usual card fares.
The government has applied similar free-travel decisions on other national holidays, including 23 April, National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. Republic Day is a full public holiday, so government offices, banks and many businesses will be closed on 29 October, while the afternoon of 28 October is traditionally a half-day for public offices.
Weather may also be a factor for anyone planning to travel around the holiday: forecasters have warned of heavy rain and thunderstorms in Thrace and Istanbul, with a return of rain to the south coast next week. In İzmir, the mayor has separately said public transport fares will not rise next year.
For more on getting around and settling in the city, see our guide to living in Istanbul.
Sources
Photo: Ümit Yıldırım / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
