Turkey road safety incidents, late July 2026

In late July 2026, a series of serious traffic collisions occurred across several Turkish provinces, underscoring ongoing road‑safety concerns.

On 22 July, a public bus collided with a high‑speed panelvan in Şehzadeler, Manisa, killing one passenger and injuring eleven others. A week later, on 31 July, a head‑on crash on the Kula‑Eşme highway in Manisa killed driver Sedat Gezici and injured a van passenger. The same day, an unrelated accident in Istanbul’s Kartal Sahilyolu saw a car overturn, trapping its driver.

Later on 31 July, a 52‑year‑old driver, identified as Bahadır Derbent, lost control of his car in the Derbent neighbourhood of Kartepe, Kocaeli, veered off the road and plunged into a water channel. The vehicle was recovered and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Police opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

These incidents, spanning Manisa, Istanbul and Kocaeli, highlight a pattern of severe road accidents in Turkey during the period, prompting heightened scrutiny of traffic enforcement, infrastructure and emergency response protocols.