112 Emergency Call Center

112 Emergency Call Center is a system established in Türkiye to integrate various emergency services—health, police, gendarmerie, fire department, AFAD, forest fire, and coastal security—under a single number (112), ensuring rapid accurate and coordinated response for citizens. The project, managed by the General Directorate of Provincial Administration under the Ministry of Interior, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across all provinces of the country.

Establishment and Legal Framework

Due to the risks of life and property loss caused by the use of multiple emergency numbers in Türkiye—such as 155, 156, 158, 110, 112, and 177—the Telecommunications Authority designated 112 as the national emergency number in 2002. Following initiatives that began in 2005, the 112 Emergency Call Centers were formally institutionalized through a regulation published on 16 May 2014. In metropolitan provinces, these centers were established under YİKOB, while in other provinces they were set up under governorships, with standardization achieved across all components including personnel, infrastructure, and technology.

Mission and Operation

The 112 Emergency Call Centers receive calls from citizens, assess the nature of the incident, determine its location, and simultaneously dispatch relevant units to the scene. Personnel at the center operate within a two-tier system as call takers and call dispatchers. Depending on the type of incident, more than one unit may be dispatched simultaneously.

Thanks to software systems used at the centers, call locations are determined via GPS, reducing response times. All calls are recorded and analyzed, and can be reviewed retrospectively when necessary.

Integrated Institutions

The following public institutions operate in an integrated manner within the 112 system:

• Health Services: Ambulance dispatch and initial medical response are managed under this framework.
• General Directorate of Security: Police units are dispatched to incidents involving public order, traffic, theft, and assault.
• General Command of Gendarmerie: Gendarmerie units responding to security incidents in rural areas are directed according to calls.
• Fire Departments: Municipal fire units are dispatched for fires, rescue operations, and similar situations.
• AFAD: Response to disaster situations such as earthquakes, floods, and collapses is coordinated through AFAD.
• General Directorate of Forestry: Reports of forest fires are evaluated by this unit.
• Coast Guard Command: Integrated exclusively for coastal areas, it responds to maritime accidents and illegal activities.

Technical Infrastructure and Innovative Systems

In the 112 system, various digital tools have been adopted in line with technological advancements. These include e-Call, an automatic in-vehicle emergency notification system; location-based routing systems that determine caller positions; multilingual support (English, Arabic, etc.); video call services in sign language (Engelsiz 112); and mobile applications, all of which enhance public access.

The 112 Emergency Mobile Application, developed specifically for disadvantaged individuals, enables users to request help via sign language or text messages. Operators fluent in sign language are also stationed at the call centers.

Technological Innovations

• e‑Call (In-Vehicle Automatic Call System): Since 2018, Türkiye has adopted the e‑Call system in compliance with European Union regulations. This system automatically alerts the 112 center in the event of an accident and transmits GPS location data simultaneously with the emergency call.
• New Generation 112 Software: Developed to meet local needs and built on a cyber-security infrastructure, the new software manages calls redundantly and has received the “Best Innovation” award from Silicon Valley, ensuring high-level security.
• Engelsiz 112: A mobile application and video call system designed for citizens with visual and hearing impairments facilitates access for operators fluent in sign language. Currently headquartered in Ankara, the application is accessible nationwide.
• Service Expansion and Statistics: As of June 2021, the system operates in all 81 provinces and received approximately 32 million calls in the last three months. However, nearly half of these calls are false. Call volumes from densely populated areas such as Istanbul are included in this average. The system also provides services in four foreign languages—for example, English and Arabic—and offers visual support for people with disabilities.

Project Objective and Scope

The primary objective of the 112 Emergency Call Centers Project is to consolidate multiple emergency numbers under a single platform to simplify the calling system. To this end, the project aims to train personnel capable of providing psychological support, implement systems that link calls with precise locations, reduce misleading calls, and shorten response times. The project is supported by sub-projects such as New Generation 112, Engelsiz 112, and the In-Vehicle e‑Call Integration System.

Integrated Structure and Personnel Organization

The centers house units composed of personnel from health, security, gendarmerie, fire department, AFAD, forestry, and coastal security. Calls are first received by call takers and then immediately dispatched by call dispatchers to the relevant institutions. As in the case of Düzce, centers operate with dedicated call takers, dispatchers, medical staff, technical teams, and administrative personnel working in coordinated fashion under these guidelines.