On the other side of the country, relentless freezing rain in Salt Lake City forced all of the runways at the city's international airport to close, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

CNN: Fierce cold 'a constant blast in the face' for many

And freezing prices, any technocrat worth his salt knows, means little unless it is accompanied by measures to hold down wages: something Mr Yilmaz does not appear to contemplate.

ECONOMIST: Turkey

The Roads Service has said it planned to salt roads considered to be at risk of freezing.

BBC: Warning over ice and snow on Northern Ireland roads