Current conditions across Türkiye reveal a drought of unprecedented depth in the last five decades. This year’s rainfall has fallen well short of long-term norms, showing a notable reduction in precipitation compared to the 30-year average.
According to a 2024–2025 monthly assessment from the General Directorate of Meteorology, total rainfall for the period was approximately 401.1 millimeters, starkly below the 1991–2020 average of 548.5 millimeters. The drought pressure extends to most regions, with some areas recording losses exceeding 60 percent of typical precipitation.
The scarcity of water is not confined to the interior; even coastal zones report unusually low rainfalls. In the Southeastern Anatolia region, typically arid, rainfall declines have been pronounced. The summer season has endured extreme heat, with July 2025 standing out as the hottest month in 55 years. Temperature averages rose by about 1.9°C relative to 1991–2020 norms, and places like Silopi reached a new record of 50.5°C, while Adana experienced its hottest day in 95 years at 47.5°C in early August.
Across western Türkiye, dam reservoirs show alarming drops in water levels; for instance, the Çeşme dam lake has fallen to merely 3 percent of normal capacity. This situation has contributed to road inundation on submerged stretches and has been widely reported on Turkish television. The drought has also triggered numerous forest fires in western regions and in Hatay.
Global concern has grown alongside local impacts. A UN-supported study in July warned Türkiye could face severe drought conditions by 2030, with up to 88 percent of the country at risk of desertification. Projections suggest rainfall may shrink by around one-third by the end of the century, while temperatures could rise by 5–6°C relative to the 1961–1990 baseline.
The agricultural sector—particularly export-oriented crops like apricot, apple, fig, and hazelnut, which account for a significant share of world production—faces mounting pressure from these climatic shifts. By the end of August, insured farmers reported losses totaling 23 billion TL, affecting 50 thousand farmers, with an additional 420 thousand uninsured producers experiencing setbacks. The total budget allocated to support both insured and uninsured producers stood at 46.5 billion Turkish pounds.
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