Istanbul's Halkalı‑Arnavutköy Metro Line Opens, Free Through July 31

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu inaugurated the Halkalı‑Arnavutköy segment of the Halkalı‑İstanbul Airport‑Gayrettepe Metro project on 19 June 2026. The 22‑km underground extension adds five new stations (Halkalı, Halkalı Stadı, Olimpiyatköy, Kayaşehir, İbn Haldun Üniversitesi, Arnavutköy) and completes a 69‑km ring that is Turkey’s longest and one of the world’s longest metro lines.

The new segment cuts travel times dramatically: Halkalı – İstanbul Airport is now about 30 minutes, Halkalı – Gayrettepe about 57 minutes, and Halkalı – Göktürk about 43 minutes. It integrates with Marmaray, the high‑speed rail line and several other metro lines, bringing Istanbul’s total urban rail length to roughly 191 km. The government announced that rides on the new line will be free of charge until 31 July 2026.

Officials projected 117 million hours of time saved and an economic benefit of roughly €935 million over the line’s lifetime. Further metro projects, including extensions of the Altunizade‑Bosna Bulvarı line, are already under construction.