A wildfire that broke out in the district of Kaş, located in the Mediterranean province of Antalya (on Turkey’s southern coast), led to the deployment of a large-scale aerial and ground operation on the morning of 28 July. At the same time, Turkey is continuing to provide international support in the fight against the fire by sending several aircraft to Spain and France.
The forest fire broke out for as yet unknown reasons in a wooded area adjacent to the Üzümlü neighbourhood. Upon receiving the alert, teams from the Antalya Regional Forestry Directorate and the municipal fire brigade attended the scene. According to the Turkish news agency Anatolia, the fire-fighting efforts currently involve 8 helicopters, 3 aeroplanes, 18 fire engines, 2 construction machines, 5 water tankers, 2 first-response vehicles and forest fire brigades comprising around 135 personnel.
In a statement released via its social media channels, the General Directorate of Forests reported this morning that the intensity of the forest fire has been reduced, although fire-fighting operations are continuing. “We have reduced the intensity of the fire that is still burning in Kaş. Our efforts to bring the fire fully under control are continuing both from the air and on the ground,” the statement said.
Whilst battling the fires on its own territory, Türkiye is also continuing to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against the blazes. The country’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, announced early this morning the dispatch of two fire-fighting aircraft to France following an official request from the French authorities. This follows another similar request for assistance from Spain, to which the Turkish authorities also responded by sending two aircraft to help tackle the blazes ravaging the Spanish provinces of Ávila, Madrid and Toledo.
In a message posted on social media, the minister emphasised that the forest fires recorded in various parts of Europe over the last few days have once again highlighted the enormous difficulty involved in tackling this type of emergency: “Turkey, drawing on its resources and expertise, not only protects its own forests, but also fulfils its responsibility to protect the forests of other countries when necessary,” he stated.
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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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