Heavy snowfall hits Turkey, paralyzes traffic

A cold front that hit Turkey on Wednesday brought heavy snowfall that paralyzed traffic and shut down schools in the capital while disrupting road and air travel in other cities.

Major roads in downtown Istanbul remained open, although some side streets on the Asian side of the city were closed due to snow. High winds meanwhile forced the cancellation of some ferry services, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Heavy snowfall has blocked access to hundreds of remote villages in eastern and northern Turkey and paralyzed life in the Turkish capital.

Thousands of people had to walk for kilometers (miles) back home Tuesday evening after their vehicles could not climb hilly parts of Ankara.

Televisions reported hundreds of accidents in the capital with no serious injuries. Many drivers abandoned their cars, which were quickly buried under snow, Today's Zaman says.