Traffic signs vandalized on Turkey's Black Sea mountain roads

Unknown individuals have repeatedly shot at traffic and direction signs along the Black Sea mountain routes in Turkey, targeting areas such as Trabzon, Rize, Giresun and Artvin. The damage renders many signs unusable, endangering drivers on the region's winding, fog‑prone roads.

The General Directorate of Highways is replacing the destroyed signs, but each replacement costs between 3,000 and 5,000 Turkish lira. With thousands of signs damaged each year, the cumulative expense runs into millions of lira. Under the Turkish Penal Code, vandalism of public property can result in imprisonment of one to four years, and police are urging citizens to report any sightings of gunfire aimed at road signs.