Forest fires in Turkey continue after three simultaneous fires broke out early this morning at three different locations in the province of Bursa, in the north-west of the country, prompting a large-scale deployment of emergency services, whilst the Turkish authorities have announced that at least 12 people have been arrested and remanded in custody in connection with up to 73 wild fires recorded in various parts of the country.
The wildfires broke out at around 08:30 this morning in the neighbourhoods of Derekızık and Aktaştepe, in the district of Kestel, and in the neighbourhood of Karapınar, part of the district of Yıldırım, all of which are situated just south of the city of Bursa, at the foot of the famous Mount Uludağ. Upon receiving the alert, numerous personnel from the Regional Forestry Directorate, as well as fire brigade teams from the province, were dispatched to the affected areas.
The operation mobilised to fight the blazes comprised 2 aeroplanes, 4 helicopters, 8 fire engines, 3 water tankers, 6 first-response vehicles, 4 excavators and a total of 92 personnel.
Finally, after more than four hours of ground and air operations to fight the fires, all the wildfires in Bursa that broke out in recent hours are considered to be under control, with cooling operations currently continuing in the area, according to the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice, Akın Gürlek, has announced that 12 suspects have already been arrested and remanded in custody pending trial in connection with 73 forest fires recorded in 25 provinces across Turkey since 1 June. Prosecutors assigned to the investigations into these wildfires have identified a total of 46 suspects, whilst judicial control measures have been imposed on a further 21 individuals believed to be involved.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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