Turkey’s Transport Minister sparked outrage after uploading a video of himself driving at 225 km/h while overtaking on the shoulder—earning a fine and public backlash amid the nation’s deadly road safety crisis.
Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has come under fire after sharing a video of himself driving at a shocking 225 km/h (140 mph) on a highway outside Ankara—nearly double the legal speed limit.
The video, set to traditional Turkish folk music and featuring a voiceover of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praising national infrastructure projects, shows Uraloğlu recklessly overtaking cars, even using the shoulder lane to pass slower vehicles.
The footage quickly went viral, sparking widespread condemnation across social media and Turkish news outlets. Critics pointed to the recklessness of a senior official promoting such dangerous driving, particularly in a country grappling with a dire road safety record.
Law enforcement swiftly intervened, fining the minister 9,267 lira (around $280). Facing mounting outrage, Uraloğlu issued a public apology on X (formerly Twitter), posting a photo of his traffic ticket with the words: “Sorry to our people.”
The apology did little to quell criticism, with many accusing him of hypocrisy given his role in promoting public safety and transport policy.
Road safety is a persistent crisis in Turkey: in 2024 alone, nearly 1.5 million traffic accidents were recorded, leaving 6,351 people dead. Uraloğlu’s actions, many argue, highlight the disconnect between official rhetoric and reckless personal behavior at the top levels of government.
