Turkey's Transport Minister posts himself driving at 225 km/h, gets fined

In the digital age, a person’s own words and actions posted online often become the evidence used against them. This modern form of accountability recalls the old Filipino proverb, “ang isda ay sa bibig nahuhuli”—or literally, “a fish is caught through its mouth.” As the saying suggests, those who expose themselves by talking too much are bound to get caught, a lesson that is now being learned by reckless individuals and even high-ranking officials who document their violations on social media.

Just recently, Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir UraloÄŸlu, was issued a speeding ticket after posting a video of himself driving at 225 km/h on a highway—nearly double the legal limit. The incident, which went viral and drew swift public criticism, prompted a public apology from the high-ranking official.

_{Minister Abdulkadir UraloÄŸlu}

The now-viral video, which UraloÄŸlu posted on social media, showed his car’s speedometer at a staggering speed, far exceeding the legal highway limit of 140 km/h. Set to folk music and excerpts from a speech by President Tayyip Erdogan praising the nation’s infrastructure, the clip showed the minister’s vehicle weaving past other cars in the fast lane of the Ankara–Nigde motorway. The footage was viewed by many as a brazen act, prompting traffic police to issue a fine of 9,267 Turkish lira, or roughly PHP 16,000.

The incident is particularly notable given the minister’s extensive background as a civil engineer and his long career in public service. UraloÄŸlu joined the country’s General Directorate of Highways in 1989, rising through the ranks before his appointment as transport minister in June 2023. His direct role in managing the nation’s roads created a strong sense of irony, especially considering Turkey’s recent road safety record of more than 6,300 road deaths and 1.5 million accidents last year.

In the face of the public backlash, UraloÄŸlu acknowledged his mistake and posted an image of the speeding ticket on the social media platform X, simply writing, “Apologies to our nation.”