Water supply and sanitation in Turkey
State Hydraulic Works Headquarters | |
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Access to an improved water source | 99% |
| Access to improved sanitation | 90% |
Tap water is drinkable in some parts of Turkey. Water supply in the country is stressed and may become scarce by the 2030s, with most of the country vulnerable to desertification.
Both sit and squat toilets usually have integrated or add-on bidets, and almost all mosques have public toilets. However sewage is not always properly treated before being discharged, and this is one of the causes of pollution of the seas.
Water supply and sanitation in Turkey is characterized by achievements and challenges. Over the past decades access to drinking water has become almost universal and access to adequate sanitation has also increased substantially. Autonomous utilities have been created in the 16 metropolitan cities of Turkey and cost recovery has been increased, thus providing the basis for the sustainability of service provision. Intermittent supply, which was common in many cities, has become less frequent.
Turkey has between 2,500 and 1,350 cubic metres of water available per person per year, but this varies a lot by region, with some areas short such as water supply and sanitation in Istanbul, partly due to urbanisation and climate change in Turkey. Over three-quarters of the freshwater used is by agriculture, and charging for it has been suggested.
Remaining challenges include the need to further increase wastewater treatment, to reduce the high level of non-revenue water hovering around 50% and to expand access to adequate sanitation in rural areas. Turkey is aiming for good water status under the EU Water Framework Directive by 2027.
There is a water management plan to 2028. Institutionally the sector is fragmented. Policy, regulatory and planning functions are dispersed between five Ministries, the State Hydraulic Works (DSI) and the State Planning Organization under the Prime Minister's Office. Service provision is the responsibility of about 2,400 municipalities and 16 utilities in the largest cities. External cooperation has played and continues to play a major role for water and sanitation in Turkey. Germany, France, the European Union and the World Bank are the major external partners.