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A rare sight: Istanbul from above all in white, with snow piled up up to 80 centimeters high.
A snowstorm had swept across large parts of Turkey.
Trucks blocked the roads in numerous districts of Istanbul on Tuesday, and vehicles without winter tires got stuck.
Trunk roads from the northwest of the country have been closed until further notice.
The roof of a cargo warehouse at the airport collapsed under the weight of the snow masses.
The airport and numerous shopping centers had to close, and bus services were suspended.
1,500 homeless people and thousands more stranded in the snow found shelter in emergency shelters.
Heavy snowdrifts also paralyzed the infrastructure in the Greek capital Athens.
Thousands of drivers had to spend up to 22 hours in their vehicles in the bitter cold.
The military distributed water and food, took people out of cars and took them to hotels.
The Greek Minister for the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection warned the population on Monday of further snow.
Christos Stylianides, Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection: »Tomorrow will be a difficult day. We all have to be very careful. I repeat: the Attica region will have the most snow in the country from tonight until tomorrow morning. Follow the instructions of the authorities and reduce or completely stop all movements.«
Most shops, schools, vaccination centers, banks, government agencies and businesses in the greater Athens area should remain closed on Tuesday.
Trees have fallen on power lines in other parts of Greece, and power has not yet been restored everywhere.
Improvement is in sight, however, in the form of a thaw.
