Efforts to extinguish forest fires in Turkey’s coastal Muğla province continue

Turkey continues its efforts to extinguish forest fires in the Marmaris and Köyceğiz districts of the coastal Muğla province.

The fire, which broke out in the forest area of Şirinyer neighborhood, spreads with the effect of the wind. It has since reached Içmeler, Turunç, Osmaniye, Bayır, Çiftlik, Turgut, Hisarönü and Orhaniye neighborhoods.

Nine helicopters and three planes were dispatched to the region to respond to the wildfires.

Speaking in Marmaris district as part of the visits to affected areas, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said teams from Muğla, other provinces and Azerbaijan continue their work in the region.

Overall, an aircraft, 80 water tanks, 35 tankers, 31 construction machines, 176 service vehicles and 1,400 personnel are at work, he said.

Erdoğan said one of the fires in Marmaris was started by children, and that further investigations are underway. A suspect was detained in the Milas district, he added, and did not rule out the link between wildfires and terrorist organizations.

Since Wednesday, as many as 101 forest fires have erupted in Turkey, with most of them being in southern regions. The Turkish authorities managed to control 91 of them, and six people lost their lives.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said efforts are underway to control the remaining blazes.

According to the Turkish president, 50 million (Turkish) liras [$5.91million] have been released to meet urgent needs in areas that have seen environmental destruction and material damage.