Turkish tourist areas hit by devastating fires; authorities make arrests amid ongoing blaze

Shafaq News/ Fires erupted in Turkish forests near popular summer tourist areas, affecting regions like Muğla and Aydın, which rely on these sites for seasonal income.

According to Turkish sources, “firefighting teams have been unable to control fires in six forests—Aydin, Izmir Karşıyaka, Manisa, Gördes, Bolu Göynük and Karabük Ovacık despite hours of effort.”

“Adverse weather, like strong winds, prevents fire brigades from controlling the fires,” the sources affirmed.

Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli reported that “the fire line stretches nine kilometers between Aydın's southern and northern wings,” affirming that “strong winds caused the fire to spread widely, and the rugged terrain hindered intervention.”

“Despite these challenges, teams continued to fight the blaze and controlled a significant portion of the central regions.”

Yumakli thanked the fire brigades for their tireless efforts, noting, “They are battling an unyielding foe with three planes, 15 helicopters, and 390 personnel in Yamanlar district, Izmir, and with seven planes, 15 helicopters, 62 ground vehicles, and 368 personnel working on additional firefighting operations.”

Moreover, the Minister confirmed that “there are currently 8 active fires, with the intensity of 4 of them decreasing.”

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the forest fires in a call with his Azerbaijani counterpart, who then announced the allocation of a firefighting plane to assist Turkiye,” he added.

In this context, the ruling Justice and Development Party and its opponents have clashed over responsibility for managing recurring summer forest fires in Turkiye, with foreign aid for fire control also sparking controversy, primarily between the ruling party and the main opposition, the Republican People's Party.

The Republican People's Party criticizes Turkiye for accepting foreign aid to manage fires while exporting drones and for the ruling party's failure to allocate enough aircraft for firefighting efforts.

Meanwhile, conflicting reports emerged about the number of forest fires. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported “19 fires across the country from August 15 to 17,” while the Minister of Forestry mentioned “only 8 fires, with just two controlled.”

Additionally, Yerlikaya announced that “authorities arrested seven people on suspicion of causing the forest fire, including three in Izmir's Sur district, two in Ödemiş, one in Bayindir, and one in Karşıyaka; two suspects were imprisoned, while the remaining two were released under judicial control.”

Earlier today, authorities arrested three more individuals for their involvement in the Aydın forest fire.