Locals and tourists left the resorts in boats or in convoys of cars and trucks. Many people in rural areas have lost their homes and animals, while respiratory problems are exacerbated by the heavy smoke that affects the vast region.
In total, about 10,000 people have already been evacuated in the Mugla province alone, Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu said today.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Twitter that fire brigades are still fighting nine fires in the coastal provinces of Antalya and Migla, currently popular tourist areas. Other fires still continued in the provinces of Isparta, Denizli, Izmir and Adana.
Another fire in Tunceli in southeastern Turkey was localized today, the minister said earlier. A total of 137 fires have been extinguished since Wednesday in about 30 provinces.
“We operate in temperatures above 40 degrees, strong winds and extremely low humidity,” Pakdemirli added. “We are fighting in these very difficult conditions.”
On Sunday, residents were forced to flee the village of Kokertme due to the approaching flames. Some followed them in small boats, others in vehicles, while precautions were taken to protect the two thermal power plants.
An order was also given to evacuate to the city of Turunc, near the seaside resort of Marmaris, Mugla province, people were leaving in small boats.
Tourism Minister Nuri Ersoy acknowledged that some tourists may return to their hotels after the threat is gone.
The European Union (EU) indicated that it was instrumental in mobilizing tanker planes from Croatia and Spain to fight the flames, which in the latter case also sent a team of 27 soldiers. Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran also provided aviation assets.
The EU’s announcement follows accusations that the Turkish government has jeopardized firefighting efforts by refusing Western aid. Pakdemirli denied this claim, explaining that the government only rejected aircraft with less than five tons of water storage capacity. He also said that 16 aircraft, 51 helicopters and more than 5,000 militants were involved in extinguishing the fires.
The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also come under fire for refusing to buy new firefighting aircraft.
In Marmaris, local mayor Mehmet Oktay said fireworks are still active in two regions. The flames reached the outskirts of Hisaronu town today, destroying several houses, and police ordered the removal of ambulance crews and journalists.
The interior minister said authorities are investigating the source of the fires, including people’s “negligence” and possible sabotage. One person was detained on the grounds that members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party had paid him for arson.
However, experts consider climate change to be the main cause of fires, in addition to accidents caused by people. Erdogan also admitted that children started one of the fires.
The heatwave in southern Europe, caused by the mass of hot air coming from North Africa, helped to warn of a large number of fires along the Mediterranean Sea, including in Italy and Greece, leading to the evacuation of people and tourists. across the sea to escape the fire.
