A helicopter has made an emergency landing on a coastal sidewalk due to the harsh weather conditions in Sarıyer, the northernmost district of Istanbul on the European side, daily Hürriyet has reported.
The helicopter was carrying a well-known Turkish businessman, chairman of the executive board of Hattat Holding Mehmet Hattat, as well as his two companions.
"We left Amasra [in the Black Sea province of Bartın] and it took one-and-a-half hours to reach Istanbul with a calm flight. We were supposed to land in Maslak, but there was a smoke cloud above it. It is important for a helicopter not to enter fog or cloud, and I didn't want to take a risk. This is why I landed the helicopter in the safest place I found," helicopter pilot Mehmet Aksel said after landing.
Wintry weather caused traffic chaos around Istanbul yesterday, causing accidents and bottlenecks on highways on both sides of the city.
Video here.