Ankara: Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires in villages and resorts on Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean coasts.
Three people have died and dozens have been taken to hospital. An investigation has been launched to determine if some of the fires were a result of arson.
During a visit to Manavgat, Turkey’s Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli, said bringing the fires under control might take time.
Turkey has managed to bring at least 57 of the forest fires raging across the country under control, a senior official said on Friday.
#PrayForTurkey Like Australia, in my country, everywhere is on fire. Hear my country. 🇹🇷🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/tFpsoTIqKj
— kubilay (@kiwilayy) July 30, 2021
Efforts to tame the flames continue with 4,000 personnel, three planes, nine unmanned aerial vehicles, one unmanned helicopter, 38 helicopters, 55 heavy duty vehicles, 680 water tenders, and one water tank, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli told a joint news conference in the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Environment and Urbanization Minister Murat Kurum, and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, were also present at the press conference to share the latest developments on the forest fires burning over the past several days in various parts of the country.
The forest fires erupted over the last few days in the southern provinces of Mersin, Osmaniye, Adana, Antalya and Kahramanmaras. Blazes also broke out in the southwestern province of Mugla and central provinces of Kirikkale and Kayseri.
Prayers for TURKEY ! Big fires break out in Turkey! Houses, Village's and farm's are burning. over 30 cities are destroyed💔#PrayForTurkey pic.twitter.com/jv0P0Oo53A
— سحرِش-Ali-ہاشمی🖤 (@sehrishali1214) July 30, 2021
Earlier Authorities evacuated homes in southern Turkey as a wildfire fanned by strong winds raged through a forest near the Mediterranean coastal town of Manavgat.
Security forces helped move residents of four neighborhoods out of the fire’s path as firefighters worked to control the blaze, Manavgat district governor Mustafa Yigit told the state-run Anadolu Agency.
He denied earlier media reports that patients at a hospital in Manavgat were being transferred to another location, but said hospitals in the area were placed on alert.
Tourist resorts in the region weren’t affected, Yigit added. The town is in Turkey’s Antalya province, which is known for its beach resorts.
The government’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD, said around 30 people were “affected” by the fire, but didn’t elaborate.
It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire. Wildfires are common in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions during the arid summer months, although some forest fires have been blamed on arson.0 Comments
