Short answer. Turkey's AFAD uses four warning signals: a Yellow warning (3-minute steady siren, possible air attack), a Red alarm (3-minute rising and falling siren, air attack), a Black alarm (3-minute intermittent siren, chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack) and a White warning (all clear, announced by radio, television and loudspeakers) 1. A 2021 regulation also requires free mobile phone warnings 2.
What are the four signals?
AFAD states: "Ülkemizde kullanılmakta olan İkaz ve Alarm işaretleri 4'e ayrılır: Sarı İkaz, Kırmızı Alarm, Siyah Alarm (KBRN Alarmı) ve Beyaz İkaz (Tehlike Geçti İkazı)" — the warning and alarm signals used in Turkey are of four kinds 1.
| Signal | Sound | Meaning and action 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sarı İkaz (Yellow warning) | 3-minute steady siren | Possible air attack: shut off gas, electricity and water, prepare shelter |
| Kırmızı Alarm (Red alarm) | 3-minute rising and falling siren | Air attack danger: go to shelter immediately |
| Siyah Alarm (Black alarm, CBRN) | 3-minute intermittent siren | Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack danger: radiological = go to shelter; chemical = go to an upper-floor room and seal it |
| Beyaz İkaz (White warning, all clear) | Announced by radio, television, loudspeaker and megaphone | Danger over |
What should I do at each signal?
Yellow warning. Treat it as time to prepare. Shut off gas, electricity and water and get your shelter ready 1. AFAD advises preparing on the assumption of staying "a few days" in the shelter 1; see our emergency supplies page.
Red alarm. Go to shelter immediately 1. If you are outdoors, AFAD says to go to the nearest general shelter, or to underpasses, tunnels, solid arcades or basements 1. See public shelters.
Black alarm. The action depends on the threat 1:
- radiological danger: go to shelter;
- chemical danger: go up, to an upper-floor room, and seal it.
Our guides on chemical shelter-in-place and what to do after a nuclear explosion explain the reasoning in more depth.
White warning. The danger is over 1. It is not a siren tone: it is announced by radio, television, loudspeakers and megaphones 1.
Will I get an alert on my phone?
A regulation of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), published in the Official Gazette on 26 February 2021 (no. 31407), set up UYARSİS, the National Mobile Warning System 2. It obliges mobile operators to deliver warnings by cell broadcast (CBS), CMAS, SMS and pre-call announcement, complete and free of charge 2.
We did not find an official page confirming that the system is currently live. Do not rely on your phone alone: learn the siren signals and keep a battery radio, which is also on AFAD's bag list.
Is there an official emergency app?
Yes. AFAD Acil, from the Ministry of the Interior and AFAD, lets you make a voice or text emergency call to 112 with your location from a disaster area, and shows a map of assembly areas 3. It is not a shelter finder.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell the yellow warning from the red alarm?
Both last 3 minutes. The yellow warning is a steady tone; the red alarm rises and falls 1.
What does an intermittent siren mean in Turkey?
It is the Black alarm: danger of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack 1.
Why go upstairs for a chemical alarm?
AFAD's instruction for a chemical danger is to go to an upper-floor room and seal it, unlike the radiological case, where you go to shelter 1.
Is the mobile warning system free?
Yes. The 2021 BTK regulation requires operators to deliver warnings free of charge 2.
Sources
- AFAD - Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı — İkaz Alarm İşaretleri — https://www.afad.gov.tr/ikaz-alarm-isaretleri (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu (BTK) — Ulusal Mobil Uyarı Sisteminin Kurulmasına ve İşletimine İlişkin Yönetmelik (Resmî Gazete, 26 Şubat 2021, Sayı 31407) — https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2021/02/20210226-4.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
- T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı, 112 Acil Çağrı Merkezi — AFAD Acil Mobil Uygulama Projesi — https://www.112.gov.tr/afad-acil-mobil-uygulama-projesi (accessed 2026-10-20)
Turn this into action
Your plan for Turkey, worked out for your household.
- Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
- The nuclear plants and zones around your home
- Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
Sources
- AFAD - Afet ve Acil Durum Yönetimi Başkanlığı · İkaz Alarm İşaretleri checked 2026-10-20
- Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu (BTK) · Ulusal Mobil Uyarı Sisteminin Kurulmasına ve İşletimine İlişkin Yönetmelik (Resmî Gazete, 26 Şubat 2021, Sayı 31407) checked 2026-10-20
- T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı, 112 Acil Çağrı Merkezi · AFAD Acil Mobil Uygulama Projesi checked 2026-10-20