The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Council decided to re-operate the İstinye-Çubuklu Car Ferry Line, whose service was stopped last year, under the responsibility of IMM.
The second session of the IMM Assembly September meetings was held at the municipality building in Saraçhane under the chairmanship of the 1st Deputy Chairman of the Assembly, Gökhan Gümüşdağ. After the parliamentary questions were submitted, the agenda items were discussed in the Assembly, and the proposal to operate the İstinye-Çubuklu Car Ferry Line, whose service was stopped on July 31, 2025, under the responsibility of IMM was discussed.
AK Party Council Member Gaye Zarif said that she wanted to share her gratitude and reproach today on the occasion of the ferry service, which they have been waiting for a long time, being brought back to the agenda.
Zarif thanked Beykoz Deputy Mayor Özlem Vural Gürzel, non-governmental organizations and muhtars, who made intense efforts and initiatives by keeping the ferry issue on the agenda, and said:
"We are pleased to see this issue come to the agenda again as a result of the determined demands of our citizens of Beykoz. We thank everyone who contributed. However, we also want to state this clearly. Taking back a transportation service that Beykoz has been using for years is not an acceptable situation. While we welcome its re-animation today, we would like to express our expectation. We expect this service not only to be restarted, but also to be planned in a sustainable manner to meet the real needs of Beykoz. It is clear that a single ferry will not be sufficient, especially during busy hours. Our "Our request is to relieve the transportation burden of Beykoz with at least two, if possible three ferries."
Speaking thereupon, CHP Council Member Burak Korkmaz said that the car ferry service was abolished in July 2025, but passenger transportation continued to increase.
Noting that the vehicle parking capacity has been increased from 50 vehicles to 130 vehicles, Korkmaz explained that citizens can park their vehicles at a 50 percent discount with the "Park and ride" system and cross the street by ferry.
Sharing that the Ministry has a work on Kavacık Junction, Korkmaz noted that they are preparing for the traffic congestion expected to occur due to this work.
In the voting held in the parliament, the agenda item was accepted unanimously.
The proposal for students in the city to load a monthly subscription for 1 lira onto their Istanbul cards for once between September 21 and October 17 was discussed in the parliament.
AK Party Council Member Muhammet Kaynar stated that the IMM administration is acting as a perception municipality with this agenda item.
Stating that the student ticket fee, which was 1.25 lira in May 2019, increased to 22.55 lira in 2026 and increased approximately 18 times, Kaynar stated that in the same period, the monthly subscription fee increased approximately 16 times, from 40 lira to 653 lira.
Kaynar said, "What is promised with this agenda item is to collect a subscription fee of 1 lira only between September 21 and October 17. In other words, a one-month make-up work." he said.
Reminding that on April 17, 2022, as AK Party and MHP Assembly members in the IMM Assembly, they decided to make a 40 percent discount on students' transportation fees, Kaynar noted that this decision has not been implemented so far.
Stating that the IMM administration has introduced a 10 percent discount card for students over the age of 30, Kaynar said that thousands of students are treated as second class.
Kaynar said, "1 lira for a month does not cover the 16-, 18-fold increase. 1 lira for a month does not make one forget to ignore the court decision. 1 lira for a month does not replace the 40 percent permanent discount decision that has not been implemented. Increasing the student subscription from 40 lira to 653 liras in 2019 and then expecting applause with a one-month campaign is not respect for the student, but testing the memory of the student." he said.
Thereupon, CHP Member of Parliament and Head of the Law Commission, Melendiz Dalyan İzgi, spoke about the economic situation in Türkiye and diesel prices. Claiming that cheap politics is being done through students, Izgi said, "We are trying to be a dressing to the wound." he said.
After mutual conversations, the agenda item was accepted unanimously.
