All wildfires in Turkey taken under control: Forestry Minister

All of the wildfires in the south and southwestern Turkey have been contained and cooling efforts were underway, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Aug. 12. The minister also said that authorities have suspended hunting activities in the fire-affected areas of southern Antalya and southwestern Mugla provinces for two years.

Thursday August 12 2021 10:57 pm

A firefighter extinguishes a forest fire near Antalya's Manavgat district in this file photo.

Duvar English - Anadolu Agency

Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said on Aug. 12 that all wildfires across the country were contained and authorities decided to suspend hunting activities in the fire-affected areas of southern Antalya and southwestern Mugla provinces for two years.

Pakdemirli’s remarks came at a news conference in which he, along with Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez, spoke on the wildfires that have been ravaging across the country for the past two weeks.

He said that cooling efforts were still underway.

ÜLKEMİZDEKİ TÜM ORMAN YANGINLARI KONTROL ALTINA ALINDI.

Soğutma çalışmalarımız devam ediyor. pic.twitter.com/ia3IjBCXDG
— Dr. Bekir Pakdemirli (@bekirpakdemirli) August 12, 2021

Referring to the suffering of wildlife in the fire-hit regions, the minister said the authorities decided to shut down such locations for hunting activities this year and in 2022 to protect the wildlife.

He also commented on the ongoing floods in the Black Sea region in northern Turkey, which has claimed at least 17 lives in multiple cities.

The minister warned that heavy rainfall was expected on Aug. 13 and 13 in the region, and the meteorological risks were still present, adding that the locals should be careful and stay away from risky locations.

He also stressed that 12 planes, 66 helicopters, 10 helicopters of the gendarmerie forces, and 26 foreign aircraft were on alert to put off any possible fire, while the construction vehicles were sent to the fire-hit locations for reforestation activities as well as field preparation.