The Istanbul Governor’s Office is the provincial state authority headed by the governor of Istanbul. The governor is appointed by the Government of Turkey and is responsible for implementing national government legislation and handling state affairs in Istanbul Province.

The governor is also the senior commander of the provincial police force and the Istanbul Gendarmerie. The Governor’s Office is based in the Cağaloğlu quarter of Istanbul’s Fatih district, in a building that previously served as the headquarters of the Ottoman government known as the Sublime Porte.

During major incidents in Istanbul, the office may provide official information about casualties and emergency conditions. Following severe flooding described in the news report, it announced that three people had died and four others were reported missing.