Snow halts flights at Istanbul Airport, shuts roads

Turkish authorities temporarily halted all flights at Istanbul Airport on Monday due to heavy snowfall in the city, which was blanketed in white, while winter weather snarled transportation across the country. The heavy snowfall halted some of Istanbul's ferry services, shut some roads and caused visibility problems for drivers. Nationwide, the Disaster and Emergency Authority said some 4,600 people were stranded due to weather and more than 6,700 were taken to shelters, while thousands of containers of food supplies were delivered to those in need. Many parts of Turkey have been hit with heavy snowfall since last week, which coincided with a winter break at most schools. Turkish Airlines said it had cancelled all flights from Istanbul Airport until Tuesday 0100 GMT to ensure "travel safety and for our passengers" and to prevent them from being stranded at airports.<br/>