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Wildfires in Turkey
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Wildfires in Turkey occur mainly in the Mediterranean and Aegean Regions due to their hot, dry summer between late-June and September.[1][2] Over thousands of years people have modified fire regimes by agriculture and forestry, such as by grazing animals and cutting down trees.[3] The most common cause of wildfire is carelessness, such as stubble burning, litter, hunting and cigarette butts.[4] Nowadays urbanization and climate change are affecting wildfires,[5] with the season extending to May to September.[6]
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Locations
Between 2014 and 2024 Antalya and Muğla Provinces lost the largest area of forest.[4]
Causes
Although the causes of about half the fires are unknown experts think that most fires are caused by human influence.[6] Summers in the main wildfire regions have become hotter and drier due to climate change in Turkey.[7]
Some say that too much forest land has been used (allocated for 49 to 99 years) for mines, hotels and infrastructure thus increasing human influence, for example because of new roads.[5] From 2015 to 2024 over 20% of the area burnt was due to electricity distribution faults, and some have claimed the distribution companies are not regulated to do enough maintenance.[2]
Some fires are caused by people burning stubble,[8] which is illegal and it has been suggested that farmers be encouraged to do direct seeding.[9]
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Effects
They can cause air pollution with PM 2.5.[10]
Prevention
Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change say that both social and technical innovation can help - technically through more remote sensing.[11](section 6.5.4)
Although Turkish pines[a] are fire resistant their cones can be thrown long distances and thus worsen treetop fires, which are the most dangerous. Therefore better thinning and cleaning of forest near buildings has been suggested.[5]
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Firefighting
In 2025 experts said that there was enough air equipment but not enough ground forces.[6]
History
Summarize
Perspective
2020
In the first ten months of the year, a total of 16,441 ha (40,630 acres) of forestland was destroyed in 2,957 recorded wildfires. For comparison, the figures for the previous year were 11,332 ha (28,000 acres) of forestland destroyed by 2,668 wildfires.[13][14] As of August 2021[update], figures for 2020 fire starting have not yet been published by the General Directorate of Forestry.[15][needs update]
Timeline
September
A wildfire broke out at Gevenez of Yatağan district in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey on 29 September. The fire destroyed 1 ha (2.5 acres) of forest, 3 ha (7.4 acres) of agricultural land, haylofts, and some unused, old houses.[16]
October
A forest fire started at Sarımazı neighborhood of Belen district in Hatay Province, southern Turkey, on 9 October. Within two days, the fire burnt 400 ha (990 acres) of forest. The fire spread over to İskenderun and Arsuz districts, affecting many residences, factories, and nearly 100 people. According to an investigation, the fire was a result of arson masterminded by İzzettin İnan, alias "Seyfettin", and Suvar Derweş, Kurdish militants in Afrin Region, northwestern Syria. Two suspects were arrested as arsonists.[17][needs update]
2021
In July and August 2021, a series of more than two hundred wildfires burnt 1,700 square kilometres of forest in Turkey's Mediterranean Region[21] in the worst-ever wildfire season in the country's history.[22] The wildfires started in Manavgat, Antalya Province, on 28 July 2021,[23] with the temperature around 37 °C (99 °F).[24] As of 9 August 2021, two fires were still burning, both in Muğla.[25] The fires are part of a larger series of wildfires, including those in neighbouring Greece, originating from a heatwave made more likely by climate change.[26][27]
Background
The fires were some of several extreme weather events around the world in 2021.[26]
Wildfires in the forests of Turkey are common in summer, principally in the Mediterranean and Aegean Regions,[29] however, May 2021 was the hottest May for over 50 years[30] and followed a drought, made more likely by climate change.[26][27] This was followed by near to above average June temperatures with positive temperature anomalies below 1 °C (1.8 °F) and ample rainfall, however, this did not impede the fires in Kaş, Tarsus and Marmaris on 26 and 27 June.[30][31] Much stronger heat followed in the second half of July, as some regions reached positive temperature anomalies of up to 12 °C (22 °F), and a temperature reading of 36 °C (97 °F) was recorded as far north as Istanbul, where seasonal daytime temperatures would have been around 27 °C (81 °F).[32][33][34]
The fires
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Copernicus satellites measured the maximum daily heat intensity at about 20 gigawatts, four times the previous record in Turkey, and EFFIS estimates placed the total area burnt at almost ten times the average for early August.[26][35] Nine people died in the wildfires, at least two of them firefighters.[19][36] Three deadly casualties were reported from the fire in Manavgat.[37] 18 villages in Antalya and 16 villages in Adana and Mersin were evacuated.[38] Most injuries were due to smoke inhalation.[29] More than 4,000 tourists and staff in 2 hotels in Bodrum were evacuated by sea,[39][26] by the Turkish Coastguard helped by private boats.[40] Minister of Environment and Urban Planning Murat Kurum said that over 100 art museums would have to be demolished.[41] The president declared parts of 5 southern provinces disaster zones.[42] By 2 August 2021, it was estimated that about 160'000 acres of forests have fallen victim to the fires.[43]
During the first few days of August new fires broke out in the west, and the Kemerköy power plant in Muğla Province was evacuated on 4 August as a fire entered the plant.[44][45] The same day some other people near Milas were evacuated by sea.[46] Nearby Yeniköy power plant was also threatened by a fire.[47] Rare summer rain in Antalya on 7 August helped bring the fires there under control, but those in Muğla remained serious, with 13 fires continuing in 5 provinces.[48]
On 14 August, a Russian Navy Beriev Be-200 fire-fighting plane, one of two hired since July to help those affected by the fires in Kahramanmaraş, crashed just before it was due to land. There were five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens on board, all of whom perished in the accident.[49][50]
Most of the burnt forest was Turkish pine, which can generally regrow naturally.[51]
Reactions
Domestic
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said in July that three planes, 38 helicopters and about 4,000 firefighters had fought the fires.[29] Drones were also used, along with 485 water tenders and 660 bulldozers.[39][41][52] He also stated that more than 2,000 farm animals had died.[42] The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on 29 July that 58 people were still in hospital.[24] Ten people trapped at Oymapinar Dam were rescued.[52] However, firefighting planes could only operate in daylight, and fallen trees blocked access to certain roads.[53] On 3 August the Radio and Television Supreme Council warned media in Turkey not to be too negative in their coverage.[54] Government loan repayments were postponed for the injured, and damage payments were made and interest-free credit promised to small businesses.[55] Public access to various forests was banned until autumn.[55] Opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu argued that an adequate supply of planes is essential as most fires broke out on the steep foothills of the Taurus Mountains where planes would have been more efficient at keeping the fires under control, and criticised the government by claiming that it limited the ability of the Turkish Aeronautical Association to bid.[56] Later on, he said that the president had been ignoring the climate crisis and drought in Turkey.[57] The mayors of the eleven CHP governed metropolitans made a joint statement offering to finance the costs of firefighting planes.[58] Other opposition parties also criticised the ministry: Selahattin Demirtaş of the Peoples' Democratic Party called the government incompetent, and Good Party leader Meral Akşener said she had warned the ministry about the lack of planes the previous year.[56] Pakdemirli said the ministry would buy firefighting planes before the end of 2021.[56] The Turkish Aeronautical Association said that the 5000 liter capacity limit for tenders for firefighting aircraft should have been lower so they could have bid, but the president said they should have updated their technology.[40] The president said that municipalities are also responsible for firefighting, but mayors said they had not been invited to crisis coordination meetings.[59]
In August, President Erdoğan, while busing through disaster areas, threw tea bags at citizens, which was criticized by several opposition politicians, including Ali Babacan who said the act was shameful.[60]
International assistance
The following countries responded:
Azerbaijan – 750 firefighters, 93 trucks,[61] helicopter and plane[62]
Kuwait – 45 firefighters and 6 trucks[63]
Croatia – airplanes[64]
France – airplanes[65]
Greece – offer refused by Turkey[66][67]
Israel – airplanes[68]
Iran – airplanes[64]
Kazakhstan – In August 2021, the Astana Times reported that helicopters from Kazakhstan helped extinguish forest fires in southwest Turkey.[69]
Spain – airplanes[64]
Romania – airplanes[65]
Russia – airplanes[64]
Belarus – airplanes[70]
Poland – S-70i helicopter[71]
Ukraine – airplanes[64]
USA – 2 water dropping CH-47 Chinook helicopters[72]
International Organizations:
European Union – 3 Canadairs from the rescEU fleet[73]
Seedling donation movement
Specifically for 2021 Turkish wildfires, a non-governmental organization in Turkey, Environmental Organizations Solidarity Association, has initiated seedling donation movement.
Following the defeat of Turkey women's national volleyball team by South Korea women's national volleyball team in quarterfinal at the 2020 Summer Olympics with set scores of 3 – 2,[74] most of the players in Turkey women's national volleyball team bursted out their tears. After the reason of their sorrow has been known throughout the Internet, South Korean netizens initiated voluntary seedling donation movement through ÇEKUD in the name of Kim Yeon-koung or Korea Volleyball Federation to help Turkey for 2021 Turkish wildfires.[75]
ÇEKUD began their work to establish Turkey-Korea Friendship Forest Areas in several damaged areas, beginning on 18 November 2021 in Antalya Province. On 1 April 2022, Turkey completed planting operation. According to ÇEKUD, six zones of "Turkey-Korea Friendship Forest" are made: 30,000 in Antalya, 40,000 in Nevşehir, 25,000 in Kilis, 15,000 in Istanbul, 30,000 in Muğla and 10,000 in Osmaniye, thus 150,000 donated trees among 580,000, in total.[76][77]
Investigation of causes
As of August 2021[update], figures for 2020 fire starting have not yet been published by the General Directorate of Forestry,[needs update]but in 2019 no fires were known to have been caused by terrorism, and in 2018, out of the 2167 total fires 6 are known to have been started by terrorists according to official statistics.[78] However, what started almost half of the 2688 fires in 2019 was unknown: the most common known fire starters were lightning (372) and intentional stubble burning (184).[26]
Boğaziçi University climatologist Levent Kurnaz said that the extremely hot and dry weather helped to start the fires.[26] Some meteorologists also mention the foehn effect.[79] Hikmet Özturk, forestry expert working with the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, said that although wildfires are almost always started by people, effects of climate change on wildfires are making their spread worse.[42]
The state-run TRT World, among others, wrote quickly about the possibility of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, the United States and many other countries) being behind the fires. One article by TRT called the PKK the "prime suspect" because "environmental destruction is one of the methods of vengeance used by the group."[80] This was denied by the PKK, as well as the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).[81] According to some reports, there were racist attacks on Kurds after it was reported that the PKK was behind the fires.[82] Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu stated that they had "no security intelligence" yet to support the claim that wildfires were being caused by arson attacks.[83] As of August 2021[update] official investigation concerning the causes of the fires continues,[84][needs update] including possible arson or negligence.[85]
2022
On 24 June, a wildfire raged in the Bördübet region, near Marmaris on the Aegean Sea coast.[86] On 13 July, a wildfire broke out on the Datça Peninsula.[87] 450 houses and 3,530 people were evacuated from the area.[88]
2024
The 2024 Turkey wildfires were a series of wildfires that broke out in Turkey throughout 2024 and spread as a result of strong winds and dry conditions. As of 24 June 2024, the most impacted region was in Diyarbakır province, where a mid-June fire killed at least 12 people and caused at least 78 injuries.[90]
June
In mid-June 2024, a severe wildfire grew across Southeastern Turkey, affecting mainly Kurdish-majority regions and killing at least 12 people. The fire started from burning of crop stubble in rural Koksalan at around 22:15 TRT (19:15 UTC), and spread into five villages, including Yazcicegi and Bagacik in the Çınar, Diyarbakır municipality due to strong winds. At least 78 people suffered from fire-related injuries and smoke inhalation, with five people requiring intensive care. In addition, hundreds of livestock were killed.[90][91]
The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party criticized the government's fire response due to it only using ground forces when they claimed that water bombers were necessary to stop the conflagration before widespread damage occurred.[89]
2025
On 29 June, amid high temperatures and strong winds of up to 117 km/h (73 mph), a series of wildfires broke out across the country, mostly in İzmir Province. They forced the evacuation of over 50,000 people from 41 settlements around the province and operations at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport were temporarily suspended.[92] Three people were killed by wildfires near Ödemiş: an 81-year-old bedridden man and two people who were working with firefighters to tackle the fire. The fires in İzmir were brought under control on 4 July, having destroyed around 5,000 ha (12,000 acres) and some 200 houses.[93]
On 4 July, a fire broke out in a forest in Dörtyol and spread quickly due to strong winds. By the next day almost 2,000 people had been evacuated in Hatay Province whilst over 1,000 emergency personnel worked to fight the blaze.[94]
On 23 July, five firefighters and five members of the AKUT Search and Rescue Association were killed and 14 others were hospitalized while battling a wildfire in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir Province. Authorities said the wind suddenly changed direction, causing the flames to shift rapidly and surround the victims.[95][96]
On 25 July, wildfires broke out in Adana, Antalya, Manavgat and Mersin. That same day, the provinces of Bilecik and Izmir were designated as disaster areas by the interior ministry due to wildfires.[97]
On 27 July, wildfires forced the closure of the Bursa-Ankara highway.[98] The next day, a water tanker overturned in Bursa, killing three firefighters from Bolu Province who were responding to a wildfire in Ağlaşan.[99] On July 28 it was reported that the fires displaced 3,500 people.[100]Remove ads
Gallery
Wildfires in Milas
Smoke in Milas- Wildfires in İçmeler, Bodrum.
Firefighters in Milas
Wildfires in Urla, İzmir
Kumbahçe, Bodrum 31 July 2021
See also
Notes
- Pinus brutia - is Turkish "Kızılçam" literally "red pine" – so sometimes mistranslated
References
External links
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