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EU sends help to Turkey as wildfires rage on
The bloc will send three air tankers as President Erdogan and his government face criticism for being out of touch and unprepared.
How is Turkey's Erdogan handling the crisis?
The aid comes as Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government face criticism for their handling of the situation. Ankara initially sought to pin blame for the fires on Kurdish arsonists but was forced to drop that stance as the number of fires and deaths began to climb.
The affected region has been plagued by extreme drought for months and as fires continued to rage, the government's sluggish response was quickly compounded by an admission that it did not have enough aircraft to sufficiently battle back what are the country's deadliest wildfires in decades.
Moreover, President Erdogan was lampooned on social media as being entirely out of touch when he tossed bags full of tea to locals in one of the worst-hit regions in the country. The publicity stunt came as Erdogan, surrounded by a heavy police escort, delivered political speeches in and around Marmaris.
Currently, government planes and helicopters are at work as locals trek buckets of water up hillsides in doing their part.
Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli says more than 130 fires have been recorded in dozens of towns and cities across Turkey since Wednesday. Seven of them — mainly near the southern resort towns of Antalya and Marmaris — are still burning.
Politician Engin Ozkoc of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's largest opposition party, demanded Pakdemirli step down, saying: "You don't deserve that ministry. You didn't foresee this and buy firefighting planes."
Europe dealing with 'climate threat' says official in neighboring Greece
Fires in Turkey have been fueled by high winds and low humidity, driving temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across the region. They come as southern Europe finds itself in the grips of a prolonged heatwave with more large fires raging in Italy, Spain and Greece.
Across the Strait of Marmaris, neighboring Greece is battling more than 100 fires. "We are no longer talking about climate change but about a climate threat," said Greek Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias, who drew a clear line between rising temperatures and the ferocity of fires across the continent.
Turkey's wildfires have now killed eight people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
The bloc will send three air tankers as President Erdogan and his government face criticism for being out of touch and unprepared.
Eight people have been killed over the past six days and thousands evacuated.
Fires have rages for six days and the Turkish government says it doesn't have enough equipment to fight them
The European Union announced on Monday that it would send three air tankers to Turkey to combat forest fires that have been burning near the Mediterranean coast in Antalya since last Wednesday, saying it "stands in full solidarity with Turkey at this very difficult time."
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu thanked Brussels for its support.
The EU aircraft — one from Croatia and two from Spain — will operate alongside teams from Russia, Iran, Ukraine and Azerbaijan in assisting locals and Turkey's regional and national efforts.
Fires have rages for six days and the Turkish government says it doesn't have enough equipment to fight them
The European Union announced on Monday that it would send three air tankers to Turkey to combat forest fires that have been burning near the Mediterranean coast in Antalya since last Wednesday, saying it "stands in full solidarity with Turkey at this very difficult time."
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu thanked Brussels for its support.
The EU aircraft — one from Croatia and two from Spain — will operate alongside teams from Russia, Iran, Ukraine and Azerbaijan in assisting locals and Turkey's regional and national efforts.
How is Turkey's Erdogan handling the crisis?
The aid comes as Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government face criticism for their handling of the situation. Ankara initially sought to pin blame for the fires on Kurdish arsonists but was forced to drop that stance as the number of fires and deaths began to climb.
The affected region has been plagued by extreme drought for months and as fires continued to rage, the government's sluggish response was quickly compounded by an admission that it did not have enough aircraft to sufficiently battle back what are the country's deadliest wildfires in decades.
Moreover, President Erdogan was lampooned on social media as being entirely out of touch when he tossed bags full of tea to locals in one of the worst-hit regions in the country. The publicity stunt came as Erdogan, surrounded by a heavy police escort, delivered political speeches in and around Marmaris.
Currently, government planes and helicopters are at work as locals trek buckets of water up hillsides in doing their part.
Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli says more than 130 fires have been recorded in dozens of towns and cities across Turkey since Wednesday. Seven of them — mainly near the southern resort towns of Antalya and Marmaris — are still burning.
Politician Engin Ozkoc of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's largest opposition party, demanded Pakdemirli step down, saying: "You don't deserve that ministry. You didn't foresee this and buy firefighting planes."
Europe dealing with 'climate threat' says official in neighboring Greece
Fires in Turkey have been fueled by high winds and low humidity, driving temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across the region. They come as southern Europe finds itself in the grips of a prolonged heatwave with more large fires raging in Italy, Spain and Greece.
Across the Strait of Marmaris, neighboring Greece is battling more than 100 fires. "We are no longer talking about climate change but about a climate threat," said Greek Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias, who drew a clear line between rising temperatures and the ferocity of fires across the continent.
Turkey's wildfires have now killed eight people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.
DESPITE ERDOGAN'S DIVERTING PLANES AND BLAMING PKK
Sun., August 1, 2021,
ISTANBUL (AP) — More than 100 wildfires have been brought under control in Turkey, according to officials Sunday, as firefighters worked to battle blazes that continued in popular seaside destinations.
The Minister of Forestry and Agriculture, Bekir Pakdemirli, tweeted that five fires were continuing in the tourist destinations of Antalya and Mugla, while 107 fires were “under control.”
The fires in Antalya were continuing in two districts. In Mugla, they continued in the tourist destination of Marmaris, as well as other areas.
Police water cannons, usually used to control riots, assisted helicopters and fire trucks in a village of Mugla's popular district of Bodrum to fight fires. Turkish television showed fires had reignited after being extinguished earlier, with blazes and smoke approaching a village. Civilians were trying to help.
Fires were also encroaching on a village near the town of Manavgat, where helicopters were trying to extinguish blazes.
Panic-struck tourists were evacuated Saturday from some hotels in Bodrum as a fire rolled down the hill toward the seashore.
Pakdemirli’s list showed fires began in 32 provinces from Wednesday onward. Six people have died.
While Turkish authorities are investigating whether the fires may have started as an act of “sabotage” by outlawed Kurdish militants, experts mostly point to the climate crisis, as seen by the drastic increases in temperatures along with accidents caused by people.
A heat wave across southern Europe, fed by hot air from Africa, has led to wildfires across the Mediterranean, including in Italy and Greece.
Temperatures in Turkey and nearby countries in southeast Europe are expected to climb to 42 degrees Celsius (more than 107 Fahrenheit) Monday in many cities and towns. Antalya was already registering 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) Sunday.
The Associated Press
Sun., August 1, 2021,
ISTANBUL (AP) — More than 100 wildfires have been brought under control in Turkey, according to officials Sunday, as firefighters worked to battle blazes that continued in popular seaside destinations.
The Minister of Forestry and Agriculture, Bekir Pakdemirli, tweeted that five fires were continuing in the tourist destinations of Antalya and Mugla, while 107 fires were “under control.”
The fires in Antalya were continuing in two districts. In Mugla, they continued in the tourist destination of Marmaris, as well as other areas.
Police water cannons, usually used to control riots, assisted helicopters and fire trucks in a village of Mugla's popular district of Bodrum to fight fires. Turkish television showed fires had reignited after being extinguished earlier, with blazes and smoke approaching a village. Civilians were trying to help.
Fires were also encroaching on a village near the town of Manavgat, where helicopters were trying to extinguish blazes.
Panic-struck tourists were evacuated Saturday from some hotels in Bodrum as a fire rolled down the hill toward the seashore.
Pakdemirli’s list showed fires began in 32 provinces from Wednesday onward. Six people have died.
While Turkish authorities are investigating whether the fires may have started as an act of “sabotage” by outlawed Kurdish militants, experts mostly point to the climate crisis, as seen by the drastic increases in temperatures along with accidents caused by people.
A heat wave across southern Europe, fed by hot air from Africa, has led to wildfires across the Mediterranean, including in Italy and Greece.
Temperatures in Turkey and nearby countries in southeast Europe are expected to climb to 42 degrees Celsius (more than 107 Fahrenheit) Monday in many cities and towns. Antalya was already registering 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) Sunday.
The Associated Press
Turkey: Images from Space Show Dramatic Scenes of Fires in Turkey
twitter european space imagingHigh-resolution photos were taken by the American observation satellite WorldView-2 from Maxar from an altitude of 770 km.
High-resolution satellite images of large-scale forest fires in the Turkish resorts of Bodrum, Manavgat and Marmaris have been published by European Space Imaging.
“Using the power of 8-band multispectral imaging, we were able to manipulate image layers to better see through smoke and observe fires in greater detail,” the caption says.
It is reported that the photographs were taken by the American Earth observation satellite WorldView-2 from Maxar from an altitude of 770 km.
Earlier it was reported that the representative of the President of Turkey Ibrahim Kalin called large-scale forest fires “a national disaster”.
Tourists, villagers flee as wildfires ravage Turkish resorts
By MEHMET GUZEL and ZEYNEP BILGINSOY
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Tourists wait to be evacuated from smoke-engulfed Mazi area as wildfires rolled down the hill toward the seashore, in Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021. More than 100 wildfires have been brought under control in Turkey, according to officials. The forestry minister tweeted that five fires are continuing in the tourist destinations of Antalya and Mugla. (AP Photo/Emre Tazegul)
MAZIKOY, Turkey (AP) — Wildfires raged near Turkey’s holiday beach destinations of Antalya and Mugla and in the surrounding countryside for a fifth day Sunday as the discovery of more bodies raised the death toll to eight while villagers lost their homes and animals. Residents and tourists fled the danger in small boats while the coast guard and two navy ships waited out at sea in case a bigger evacuation was needed.
Fires also enveloped Mugla province’s Mazikoy, and villagers who evacuated were devastated.
Farmer Nurten Almaz said she lost everything. “I feel so much pain, like I lost a child,” she said. The 63-year-old woman lost her animals and her home as well as “one century of people’s labor.” She called for the death penalty for people who may have caused the fire.
Residents had to flee nearby Cokertme village as flames neared. Some got on boats and others left by cars as the fire got closer and closer. In one video, firetrucks and cars were rushing to escape fire raging on all sides. After nightfall, the village looked apocalyptic from a distance, with flames taking over the dark hills.
Bodrum mayor Ahmet Aras said Sunday evening that people experienced “hell” near Cokertme and Mazi as they drove away from the fire. He said the blaze could not be stopped and hoped to protect residential areas but said it was too late for the trees.
The area was engulfed by Sunday night, Turkish broadcasters said. Reporters said they had to get hurry to safety as the fire intensified with strong winds. Officials said precautions were being taken to protect two thermic power plants in the vicinity and at present the winds were blowing away from the plants.
Authorities warned tourists and residents to keep evacuating Turunc, a town in the seaside resort of Marmaris in Mugla province. Fires enveloped the area and strong winds made firefighting efforts more difficult. A helicopter attempted to extinguish the blazes, which were unreachable by land.
Aerial firefighting was not possible Sunday night and the fires raged, burning hectares (acres) of forests. Forestry official Mustafa Ozkaya said units continued to fight fires strategically, digging ditches and taking other measures. He said eight planes and 50 helicopters would fly in Mugla on Monday.
The European Commission announced it helped mobilized one firefighting Canadair plane from Croatia and two from Spain to aid Turkey. Planes from Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran have been helping.
Watching from out in the Mediterranean Sea, the area looked a bright orange.
As residents of villages around Marmaris pleaded for more help on social media, people boarded small boats carrying suitcases. Others waited anxiously to see if the fire would come down to the shore.
High temperatures and strong winds were making matters worse. Antalya registered 42 degrees Celsius (over 107 degrees Fahrenheit), about 5 to 6 degrees C higher than seasonal averages.
Earlier Sunday, police water cannons, usually used to control riots, helped helicopters and fire trucks in Mugla’s popular district of Bodrum to fight fires. Turkish television showed fires had reignited after being extinguished earlier, with flame and smoke approaching a village.
Social media videos showed tourists in Bodrum scampering down streets rolling their luggage to escape the nearby flames.
The health minister, Fahrettin Koca, said at least 27 people affected by the fires were still receiving treatment in hospitals while hundreds of others had been released.
The minister of forestry and agriculture, Bekir Pakdemirli, said 117 wildfires were “under control” across Turkey while eight continued. His tweets showed that since Wednesday, wildfires had ignited in 32 provinces.
While Turkish authorities say they are investigating whether the fires may have started as “sabotage” by outlawed Kurdish militants, experts mostly point to climate change along with accidents caused by people. Erdogan said one of the fires was started by children.
A heat wave across southern Europe, fed by hot air from North Africa, has led to wildfires across the Mediterranean, including on the Italian island of Sicily and in western Greece, where some residents had to be evacuated by boat to escape the flames.
On Sunday afternoon, bathers on an Italian beach south of the Adriatic city of Pescara fled when they spotted towering clouds of smoke and flames from a fire in a nearby pine forest, the Italian news agency LaPresse reported. Several people were reportedly injured when they tried to put out wind-whipped flames that had reached their homes. Local officials told state TV that an elderly home in Pescara had to be evacuated.
Meanwhile, in Turkey’s eastern Van province, floods over the weekend destroyed at least six houses after a small river overflowed amid heavy rains. Villagers were ordered to leave their homes and climb to higher locations.
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Bilginsoy reported from Istanbul. Robert Badendieck in Istanbul and Frances D’Emilio in Rome contributed to this report.
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Follow all AP stories about climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/Climate.
Turkey wildfires: 'The animals are on fire,' say devastated farmers as wildfires sweep Turkey
By Gul Tuysuz and Arwa Damon, CNN
In the small village of Kacarlar, on Turkey's southern coast, farmers are facing apocalyptic scenes as wildfires continue to sweep the country.
"We will continue to take all steps to heal the wounds of our people, to compensate for losses and to improve opportunities to better than before," the president added in a tweet Saturday.
By Gul Tuysuz and Arwa Damon, CNN
In the small village of Kacarlar, on Turkey's southern coast, farmers are facing apocalyptic scenes as wildfires continue to sweep the country.
© AP Firefighters try to get the fire under control in Kirli village near the town of Manavgat, in Antalya province, early Friday July 30.
"The animals are on fire," 56-year-old resident, Muzeyyan Kacar, told CNN. "Everything is going to burn. Our land, our animals and our house. What else do we have anyway?"
Hundreds of miles west, in the tourist hotspot of Bodrum, more than 1,000 people were evacuated by boat on both Sunday and Saturday to escape the wildfires.
At least eight people have died in more than 100 blazes that broke out earlier this week, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. The flames have been fueled by scorching summer temperatures and conditions that experts say have been worsened by climate change.
Seven people were killed in the fires in Manavgat, Antalya Province, and the eighth victim died in Marmaris, Anadolu reported. The latest victims include a Turkish-German couple who were found in a house, it said.
Two firefighters died battling the blazes on Saturday, according to the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.
The ministry said that 111 fires have burned across the country since Wednesday, while six fires are still burning in three different cities as of Sunday.
Evacuation by sea
On Turkey's Mediterranean coast, more than 1,100 people were evacuated from the tourist resort of Bodrum by sea on Sunday for the second-straight day.
"We helped the evacuation of 1,140 people by 12 boats," Orhan Dinc, the president of the Bodrum Maritime Chamber, told CNN.
"We did evacuation by boats yesterday as well, but I have never witnessed something similar before in this region. This is the first time," he said.
Dinc said that while roads remain open and evacuations continue by land, evacuation by sea helps keep roads clear for fire trucks and ambulances.
"The animals are on fire," 56-year-old resident, Muzeyyan Kacar, told CNN. "Everything is going to burn. Our land, our animals and our house. What else do we have anyway?"
Hundreds of miles west, in the tourist hotspot of Bodrum, more than 1,000 people were evacuated by boat on both Sunday and Saturday to escape the wildfires.
At least eight people have died in more than 100 blazes that broke out earlier this week, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. The flames have been fueled by scorching summer temperatures and conditions that experts say have been worsened by climate change.
Seven people were killed in the fires in Manavgat, Antalya Province, and the eighth victim died in Marmaris, Anadolu reported. The latest victims include a Turkish-German couple who were found in a house, it said.
Two firefighters died battling the blazes on Saturday, according to the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.
The ministry said that 111 fires have burned across the country since Wednesday, while six fires are still burning in three different cities as of Sunday.
Evacuation by sea
On Turkey's Mediterranean coast, more than 1,100 people were evacuated from the tourist resort of Bodrum by sea on Sunday for the second-straight day.
"We helped the evacuation of 1,140 people by 12 boats," Orhan Dinc, the president of the Bodrum Maritime Chamber, told CNN.
"We did evacuation by boats yesterday as well, but I have never witnessed something similar before in this region. This is the first time," he said.
Dinc said that while roads remain open and evacuations continue by land, evacuation by sea helps keep roads clear for fire trucks and ambulances.
© AP An aerial photo shows destruction by wildfires near the Mediterranean coastal town of Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey, Friday, July 30, 2021. The death toll in a string of wildfires raging in southern Turkey rose to four, officials said Friday, as fire crews continued to battle blazes that burned down homes and forced people to evacuate settlements and beach resorts. Firefighters were still tackling wildfires in 14 locations in six provinces in Turkey's Mediterranean and southern Aegean region, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters. (AP Photo)
Bodrum also evacuated 1,100 people using more than 20 boats on Saturday, the city's Mayor Ahmet Aras said. Bodrum is a popular destination for both Turkish and foreign tourists.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared parts of five provinces on Turkey's Mediterranean coast "disaster zones," following a helicopter visit to the devastated areas.
Bodrum also evacuated 1,100 people using more than 20 boats on Saturday, the city's Mayor Ahmet Aras said. Bodrum is a popular destination for both Turkish and foreign tourists.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared parts of five provinces on Turkey's Mediterranean coast "disaster zones," following a helicopter visit to the devastated areas.
"We will continue to take all steps to heal the wounds of our people, to compensate for losses and to improve opportunities to better than before," the president added in a tweet Saturday.
Gul Tuysuz/CNN
Gulay Kacar, 48, told CNN: "Everything is going to burn. Our land, our animals and our house."
'Gone, gone, it's gone'
The largest fire, in Manavgat, killed at least three people, according to the Turkish Natural Disaster and Emergency Directorate.
In the nearby village of Kacarlar, residents are grappling with seeing homes they built by hand burn to the ground.
"My father's house burned down," said 48-year-old Gulay Kacar. "Gone, gone, it's gone," Kacar said, before adding that she was "running to let the animals loose."
Namet Atik, a 37-year-old farmer from a neighboring village, said that he came to Kacarlar to help. "Whatever this village needs ... we are here for them," he told CNN
"We get them water, our cars, tractors, saws," he added. "We are forest villagers. Our livelihood is the forest. If this fire runs, there is no return."
Around 4,000 personnel, along with hundreds of emergency vehicles, have been deployed by the government to help fight the flames this week.
At least 77 houses have been damaged in the province of Antalya, and more than 2,000 farm animals have died, Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Bekir Pakdemirli, told journalists on Thursday.
'Gone, gone, it's gone'
The largest fire, in Manavgat, killed at least three people, according to the Turkish Natural Disaster and Emergency Directorate.
In the nearby village of Kacarlar, residents are grappling with seeing homes they built by hand burn to the ground.
"My father's house burned down," said 48-year-old Gulay Kacar. "Gone, gone, it's gone," Kacar said, before adding that she was "running to let the animals loose."
Namet Atik, a 37-year-old farmer from a neighboring village, said that he came to Kacarlar to help. "Whatever this village needs ... we are here for them," he told CNN
"We get them water, our cars, tractors, saws," he added. "We are forest villagers. Our livelihood is the forest. If this fire runs, there is no return."
Around 4,000 personnel, along with hundreds of emergency vehicles, have been deployed by the government to help fight the flames this week.
At least 77 houses have been damaged in the province of Antalya, and more than 2,000 farm animals have died, Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Bekir Pakdemirli, told journalists on Thursday.
© AP
A helicopter fights wildfires in Kacarlar village, near the Mediterranean coastal town of Manavgat, on Saturday, July 31.
Scorching temperatures
Hot and dry weather conditions had exacerbated the fires, Pakdemirli said on Thursday. He added that temperatures of 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit), less than 14% humidity and winds around 50 kilometers per hour (31 m.p.h.) had helped spread the flames.
Hikmet Ozturk, a forestry expert with the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, a nongovernmental organization that works to protect forests, told CNN that while 95% of fires in Turkey are caused by people, the spread of the fires is worsened by climate change.
The area of the fires are within the Mediterranean Basin which is one of the most susceptible to climate change risks, Ozturk said. "Typical weather conditions in the summer for the area is hot and dry, which means the risk of fires is already high, and climate change raises that risk," he said
The wildfires come as parts of western Europe have battle severe flooding in recent weeks. Scientists have for decades warned that climate change will make extreme weather events, including heavy rain and deadly flooding, more likely.
Scorching temperatures
Hot and dry weather conditions had exacerbated the fires, Pakdemirli said on Thursday. He added that temperatures of 37 Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit), less than 14% humidity and winds around 50 kilometers per hour (31 m.p.h.) had helped spread the flames.
Hikmet Ozturk, a forestry expert with the Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, a nongovernmental organization that works to protect forests, told CNN that while 95% of fires in Turkey are caused by people, the spread of the fires is worsened by climate change.
The area of the fires are within the Mediterranean Basin which is one of the most susceptible to climate change risks, Ozturk said. "Typical weather conditions in the summer for the area is hot and dry, which means the risk of fires is already high, and climate change raises that risk," he said
The wildfires come as parts of western Europe have battle severe flooding in recent weeks. Scientists have for decades warned that climate change will make extreme weather events, including heavy rain and deadly flooding, more likely.
© Mahmut Serdar Alakus/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A vehicle burned in the fire that broke out in Mugla's Marmaris district in Turkey on July 30.
© Sevgin Ozkan/Reuters
Plumes of smoke from a wildfire are seen near a residential area in the holiday resort of Bodrum, on Saturday July 31.
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