The Istanbul Governor’s Office is the provincial state authority associated with the governor of Istanbul. The governor is appointed by the Government of Turkey and is responsible for national government and state affairs in Istanbul Province, including implementation of government legislation. The governor is also the senior commander of the provincial police force and gendarmerie.

The office is based in the Cağaloğlu quarter of Istanbul’s Fatih district. Its building previously served as the headquarters of the Ottoman government, known as the Sublime Porte, before the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

In the flooding described in the news report, the governor’s office announced deaths and missing persons, extended school closures, issued advice for residents to avoid unnecessary travel and imposed restrictions including a temporary ban on motorcycles in traffic.