SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 19 March 2024, Tuesday |

Wildfires blaze on in drought-hit Turkey as criticism grows

On Monday, firefighters utilizing planes and helicopters, as well as citizens with buckets of water, battled flames raging near southern seaside resorts in drought-stricken Turkey for the sixth day, drawing fresh criticism of the government’s handling of the situation.

Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said seven fires were still blazing, fueled by temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), high winds, and low humidity.

Fire-affected areas have seen significant drought in recent months, according to meteorology maps.

Reuters drone footage showed grey slopes near the Marmaris resort, where flames had left smoldering structures and burnt tree trunks.

locals hauling water containers up a hill to fight a fire near Marmaris complained the government was not doing enough to help them while 16 planes and 51 helicopters battled fires across southwest Turkey.

“We’ve gathered as a village, from inhabitants to visitors. We didn’t flee or anything, so the government must notice and not flee as well. It must dispatch some of its jets to this location “Gulhan, a lady, told Reuters.

Engin Ozkoc, a senior figure in the main opposition CHP, called on Pakdemirli to resign for failing to adequately prepare.

“You don’t deserve that ministry. You didn’t foresee this and buy firefighting planes,” he said, criticizing the amount of aerial resources available.

The European Union said it had helped mobilize three fire-fighting planes on Sunday. One from Croatia and two from Spain joined teams from Russia, Iran, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

President Tayyip Erdogan’s communications director, Fahrettin Altun, rejected criticism of the government’s handling of the fires and condemned a social media campaign calling for foreign help.

“Our Turkey is strong. Our state is standing tall,” Altun said on Twitter, describing most information about the fires on social media as “fake news”. “All our losses will be compensated for.”

Eight people have been killed in the wildfires, but there were no reports of further casualties on Monday.

Since Wednesday, thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and some tourists have left their hotels, although Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said holidaymakers had returned within hours.

The wildfires are another blow to Turkey’s tourism industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bulent Bulbuloglu, head of the South Aegean Hoteliers Association, said 10% of reservations had been cancelled in Bodrum and Marmaris. Others had cut their visits short.