Flights halted and cars banned as snow silences Istanbul

Tourists walk along Sultanahmet Square as Sultan Ahmet mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque, is seen in the background during a snowy day in Istanbul, Turkey, January 24, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Flights were suspended for a second day at Istanbul Airport and private vehicles were barred from city streets on Tuesday, as heavy snowfall snarled traffic and left people stranded in Turkey's biggest city and across the country.

Snowfall began late last week and picked up in recent days in the city of 16 million people. Footage from the airport, among the world's largest, showed runways covered in a thick blanket of snow with aircraft and vehicles barely visible.