Turkey battling four wildfires as temperatures soar

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Firefighters in Turkey have been battling four wildfires as temperatures in the country reach record-breaking levels.

Three wildfires broke out earlier this week in the northwest of the country, with blazes in the Eceabat district of Canakkale province, in the Göynük district of Bolu province and Manisa province’s Gordes district.

A fourth then raged in the Karsiyaka district of the western coastal province of Izmir on Thursday.

Turkey recorded the hottest July for 53 years, with temperatures reaching 45.9C in Şırnak in the country’s southeast, according to an update released by the Turkish State Meteorological Service this week. Such conditions have left forest and scrubland tinder-dry.

Agriculture and forestry minister İbrahim Yumakli said the fire in Canakkale was under control, while the Manisa blaze was partially contained. Firefighters are continuing to get the other two under control.

He also urged caution over the weekend, with high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds, which are tinderboxes for further blazes.

Turkish forestry official Bekir Karacabey said it was a “superhuman effort” from the firefighters to bring the blaze in Goynuk under control.

“Let’s be careful to prevent other fires in these days when the risk of fire increases due to extraordinary weather conditions”, he said in a social media post.

The governors of Canakkale and Bolu provinces said several neighbourhoods or villages had been evacuated as a precaution, but there was no immediate threat to residential areas. An unknown number of forest workers have been admitted to hospital following smoke inhalation, according to Turkish newspaper Sabah.

It is not the first time the country has been ravaged by fires. In the summer of 2021, flames engulfed coastal resorts and claimed nine lives.

Fears of this year’s fires escalating have spread as far as Australia, with the country’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, warning that the blaze may reach the graves of Australian soldiers at Anzac Cove. One of the fires is just a few miles from the war graves where more than 7,000 Australians are buried or listed as missing following the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War.

Mr Albanese said at a press conference: “Our thoughts today are also with our friends in Turkey. We understand there are efforts underway to control fires that are burning on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Gallipoli is, of course, sacred ground to both of our countries.

“Some 60,000 Australians served at Gallipoli during the eight-month campaign, and 8,700 Australians lost their lives.” Greg Melick, president of the Returned and Services League of Australia, said he understood that the site had been closed to protect the community and to facilitate fighting the fires.

Turkish authorities announced two months ago that record-breaking temperatures had resulted in a fivefold increase in forest fires compared to last year.

Meanwhile, a European Union satellite mapping agency says 40 square miles of land was burned northeast of Athens, Greece, this week during a deadly wildfire that ravaged homes.