Turkey continues to fight the wildfires that have been raging for days in several provinces, including Izmir and Manisa, although the worst is now in the southern province of Hatay, where the fire is raging out of control, fuelled by heat and strong winds , and has forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes and thousands of people north of the city of Antakya – the ancient city of Antioch.
In Izmir, fires that broke out on 29 June in the districts of Menderes and Seferihisar continued to burn for the third day in a row today, driven by winds of more than 100 km/h, spreading towards the neighbourhoods of Kuyucak and Doğanbey. Also in another western Turkish province, Manisa, flames continue to consume forests and fields in the districts of Ahmetli, Kula and Akhisar; in the latter district, where the fire is now burning for the fourth day, firefighting teams have been forced to use night vision devices to continue fighting the blaze at night.
In statements reported by Turkish media, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı reported that “a total of 342 fires” have been declared since Friday, while announcing that “the fire in Kozan, Adana, is under control“. But Yumaklı, far from being optimistic, warned that the worst situation is right now in the southern Hatay province, where a forest fire that broke out yesterday in a wooded area of the Karaali neighbourhood in the Antakya district (Antioch), has already spread to the Ortakören and Üçgedik neighbourhoods, just 4 km north of the city of Antioch.
The situation there is particularly complicated, with more than 2,500 personnel on the ground supported by 970 vehicles and nine aircraft , including planes and helicopters, trying to contain the blaze. The governor of Hatay, Mustafa Masatlı, explained that 55 people have had to be hospitalised for smoke poisoning, and that 2,500 citizens have had to be evacuated from 240 homes and relocated to temporary facilities, mainly student dormitories. In the last few hours the wind seems to have reduced in strength, allowing helicopters to operate, but temperatures in the region are above 35 degrees Celsius.
“I wish it was raining water instead of ash,” said Muzaffer Öztürk, a 22-year-old local resident who has joined the teams fighting the fire outside the city of Antioch as a volunteer . “We are fighting the fire that started yesterday with all our heart and soul. The locals are supporting the teams sent by the government. We have been trying to extinguish the fire since yesterday evening, but after extinguishing the flames the fire suddenly rekindled due to the wind. We started at 9 o’clock at night, and continued throughout the night until morning” he said.
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Edited and reviewed by:
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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