Muğla, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Gaziantep and Antalya, amongst many other cities, have seen their forests engulfed by flames. The sell-off of forests, the regime’s incompetence and the effects of the climate crisis have, once again as happens every year, left the country facing this tragic situation. The fires, difficult to bring under control due to the wind, have spread to residential areas. Whilst homes in many regions have had to be evacuated, thousands of animals have perished. The forests, home to a vast ecosystem, have been destroyed along with their trees and all living creatures within them.

As is the case every year, the shortcomings in fire-fighting efforts – often attributed in public discourse to a lack of ‘aircraft’ – have once again come to the fore. Staff working under the Muğla General Directorate of Forestry drew attention to the ‘staff shortage’ that experts highlight every year. Pointing out that there are more aerial firefighting resources than necessary, whilst there are sufficient ground fire engines, the staff said, “Firefighting teams are working without breaks. This will eventually deplete our strength. We do not have enough staff. Fire engines are forced to go out into the field with insufficient personnel,” they said. Noting that the numbers of rake and chainsaw teams, which have been declining year on year, were non-existent this year, the staff added, “We are deprived of the most crucial team for preventing fires from spreading.”

FARMING HAS CEASED, THE FLAMES HAVE SPREAD

They highlighted that whilst the government’s construction of power stations, mines and numerous other facilities in the forests is increasing the risk of fires with each passing day, the local population’s shift away from farming is making their work in fighting fires more difficult: “The population’s shift away from farming has increased the amount of grass across all agricultural areas. Olive groves and many agricultural areas are now completely overgrown with grass. The fact that the ground is not clear is causing the fires to spread rapidly.”

CREATING A DOMINO EFFECT

The policies of the regime, which is handing over the country’s forests to capital, are leading to the remaining areas being reduced to ashes. According to data from the General Directorate of Forests, the area of forest land opened up for non-forestry activities – which stood at 17,733 hectares in 2023 and 23,053 hectares in 2024 – rose to 25,257 hectares in 2025. Mines, power stations and numerous other projects—which are the cause of ‘invisible flames’—are destroying forests, whilst at the same time, increased human activity within forests is also heightening the risk of fire. Capitalist exploitation, the climate crisis and incompetence in firefighting have, over the years, led to an increase in both the number of fires and the amount of land burnt. Whilst 3,317 hectares of woodland were reduced to ashes in 1,861 fires in 2010, this figure rose to 81,473 hectares across 3,224 fires in 2025. Recent fires suggest that the picture will not change in the 2026 figures either.

THE REAL PROBLEM IS STRUCTURAL

Speaking to BirGün, Prof. Dr Tuncay Neyişçi highlighted that the problem of firefighting is fundamentally structural. Prof. Neyişçi stated, “In Turkey, no genuine experts are being trained in the field of forest fires; we do not even have an institute or a research laboratory dedicated to this.”

Stressing that efforts must focus on preventing fires from starting in the first place, Neyişçi remarked, “Unless you remove fine combustible materials such as grass, pine needles and fallen leaves within and adjacent to the forest using specific methods, ignition is inevitable. Once ignition occurs, our forests burn like dynamite. For this reason, we must combat ignition, not the fire itself.”

Prof. Neyişçi, who noted that windbreaks made from cypress trees could reduce the ‘wind’ effect frequently cited in connection with forest fires, also drew attention to the changing demographics in villages. Noting that villagers and city-dwellers have swapped places, and that city-dwellers settling in rural areas do not know how to live with fires, Neyişçi said: “It is essential that we create educated communities that know what to do before, during and after a fire. However, the General Directorate of Forests’ budget contains no provision for public education, no television programmes or leaflets. Whilst forest villagers who know how to live in the forest are migrating to the city, city-dwellers who are unfamiliar with forest culture are moving into the heart of the forest and to holiday homes. The elderly population remaining in the villages, meanwhile, no longer has the energy to tackle the fires. Furthermore, priorities have shifted due to the granting of easements, hotels, second homes and mines within the forest. When a fire breaks out, teams now prioritise protecting the facilities, buildings and people within the forest rather than saving the forest itself, which allows the fire to spread and the forest to continue burning.”

POWER LINES SPARKING FIRES

Hüsrev Özkara, President of the Turkish Foresters’ Association, stated that the vast majority of forest fires are caused by human activity, highlighting negligence, carelessness and power transmission lines.

Speaking to Aycan Karadağ of BirGün, Özkara said that the exact causes of fires cannot always be determined at the initial stage. Noting that a significant proportion of fires stem from negligence and carelessness during agricultural and land-use activities, Özkara emphasised that power transmission lines also pose a significant risk.

Noting that statistics on the causes of forest fires are regularly compiled, Özkara explained that fires caused by technical faults and power transmission lines are classified under the ‘accident’ category. He pointed out that whilst approximately 5 per cent of fires in previous years were accident-related, this proportion has risen to 7 per cent over the last 10 years.

Özkara highlighted that, over the past 10 years, fires caused by power transmission lines have accounted for approximately a quarter of the total forest area burnt, stating, “Although their proportion within the total number of fires may appear lower, energy-related fires account for approximately 25 per cent of the total area burnt.”

Özkara noted that when evaluating data on the causes of fires, cases where the cause could not be determined must also be taken into account, adding that this proportion had approached 40 per cent in some periods. Özkara said, “When fires of undetermined cause are also taken into account, based on our field experience, we estimate that at least 60 per cent of fires are caused by negligence and accidents.”

PROVINCES ON ALERT

The fire, which has been particularly severe along the country’s southern and western coasts, has rapidly engulfed the regions.

A fire broke out in the forest in the rural Sülüklü neighbourhood, part of the Şehitkamil district. Teams were dispatched to the area following the report and began tackling the blaze.

In Muğla, one of the provinces hardest hit by the fires, blazes broke out at numerous locations. The area damaged by the forest fire in the Seydikemer district was captured by drone. A resident of the Çatak neighbourhood, threatened by the flames, carried his goat on his shoulder to safety. One house, one tractor and one motorbike were destroyed. Meanwhile, the fire that broke out in Üzümlü quickly spread over a wide area due to the wind.

Efforts to tackle the forest fire in the Edremit district, which had largely been brought under control, continued into its second day. Shortly afterwards, around 12.00 yesterday, a fire also broke out in the rural Gölcük neighbourhood of the Sındırgı district.

The forest fire that broke out in the Bayramiç district was brought under control within 4.5 hours.

Reports of fires breaking out in numerous locations across Antalya continue to pour in. The fire that started in the Sapadere neighbourhood of the Alanya district continued into its second day. Forty-five households in four neighbourhoods were evacuated, and dozens of homes were damaged. Despite all efforts to tackle it, the fire continued in various locations due to the wind. Forest fires in the districts of Kumluca, Kaş and Manavgat have been brought under control,

• AYDIN

A forest fire broke out at around 15:00 in the Kavşit area of Çine for reasons as yet unknown. Fire crews responded to the incident.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Plan yok, personel az, ormanlar işgal altında: İktidar kafasıyla bu tablo değişmez, published in BirGün newspaper on July 31, 2026.