Turkey Transport Minister Fined for Speeding After Posting Viral 225 km/h Video

Turkey's Transport Minister has landed himself in hot water after proudly sharing a video of himself on Sunday driving at an eye-watering 225 km/h (140 mph) on a motorway, almost double the legal speed limit.

Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, 56, posted the clip on his official social media account, showing his car's speedometer soaring as he flew past other vehicles on the Ankara–Niğde highway.

The video was set to traditional Turkish folk music and even included excerpts from a speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praising Turkey's infrastructure projects.

But instead of impressing the public with Turkey's modern roads, the footage quickly went viral for all the wrong reasons. Within hours, hashtags mocking the minister trended across Turkish Twitter/X and TikTok, with critics branding it a reckless stunt in a country already battling a road safety crisis.

Fined After Outcry

Traffic police wasted little time in taking action. Authorities confirmed that Uraloğlu was issued a speeding ticket of 9,267 Turkish lira (around £220 / $280) for breaking the highway speed limit of 140 km/h (87 mph). The violation was recorded about 50 kilometres outside Ankara.

Facing mounting criticism, the minister attempted damage control by posting an image of his own ticket and a short apology on X.

'Apologies to our nation,' he wrote, adding that he had "unintentionally exceeded the limit briefly" while inspecting the highway.

He insisted he had effectively 'reported himself by sharing the video,' and promised to exercise greater caution in future. 'Adhering to traffic laws is a mandatory responsibility,' he added.

Public Fury

The apology did little to calm the backlash. Commentators pointed out the irony of Turkey's top transport official, a man responsible for road safety, boasting about breaking traffic laws.

'This isn't just speeding. It's sending a message that the law doesn't apply to those in power,' one social media user wrote. Another quipped: 'If the minister can drive at 225, why should the rest of us crawl at 90?'

Some videos mocking the incident racked up hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok, with edits overlaying cartoon sound effects and parody speeches.

Deadly Context

The outrage was fuelled by grim statistics. Official data shows nearly 1.5 million traffic accidents were recorded in Turkey last year alone, leading to 6,351 deaths.

Road crashes remain one of the country's leading causes of preventable fatalities, often blamed on speeding, poor enforcement and lax driver discipline.

Critics argue that Uraloğlu's behaviour undercuts nationwide campaigns to reduce accidents and sets a dangerous example at a time when Turkey is trying to align its safety standards with those of the European Union.

Observers also highlighted the tone-deaf soundtrack of Erdoğan's speech praising infrastructure achievements. 'You can't talk about building safe highways while showing off dangerous driving on them,' one columnist wrote.

Rare Accountability

Still, some supporters described the minister's quick acceptance of the fine as refreshing in a political culture where officials rarely admit fault.

'At least he didn't cover it up or blame someone else,' one pro-government newspaper noted, while opposition papers said the penalty was far too lenient.

Comparisons were drawn to scandals abroad. Britain's former energy secretary Chris Huhne resigned and even went to jail after a speeding points controversy, while in Germany, ministers have faced resignations for far less.

Political Damage

Whether the speeding ticket dents Uraloğlu's standing remains to be seen. The Erdoğan government often frames infrastructure as a symbol of national pride, but this episode risks turning that message into ridicule.

For now, the incident remains one of Turkey's biggest online talking points, a viral moment that has mixed humour, anger and disbelief. And with road deaths still claiming thousands of lives each year, critics warn the minister's joyride may have lasting consequences far beyond a £220 fine.