270 fires in 53 cities in 13 days: Fires still rage in Milas and Köyceğiz

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli held a press conference about the latest situation amid forest fires yesterday (August 9).

Addressing the reporters at the Şehit Görkem Hasdemir Beldibi Firefighting Team Building of the Marmaris Forestry Department in Muğla, Pakdemirli has announced that 270 forest fires broke out in 53 provinces across the country and 267 fires have been taken under control.

Minister Pakdemirli said, "The fires in Yatağan, Kavaklıdere, Karaköy and Antalya Kaş have been taken under control. The firefighting efforts for three forest fires continue in our two provinces. These are the fires in Muğla's Köyceğiz and Milas and Aydın's Bozdoğan."

According to a graphic shared by the Minister on Twitter, 30 forest fires broke out in Turkey from 23:59 pm on August 8 to 8 pm yesterday.

Turkey to send 2 firefighting planes to Greece

Amid the forest fires raging across Turkey's neighboring country Greece, Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said, "Greece made a request from us. We lean towards it. The two 40-ton planes used by the Directorate General of Forestry have been prepared. They will set off if the procedures are completed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the related country."

Online application to become a volunteer

Stressing the importance of volunteers in fighting against forest fires, Pakdemirli said that the ones who wanted to join the firefighting efforts can make an online application on the "e-devlet" (e-state) platform.

Damage assessment works

Noting that the damage assessment works are still ongoing in the places where the fires have been extinguished, Pakdemirli said:

"Damage assessment works were undertaken for 7,735 farmers in 180 villages, 26 districts and 9 provinces.

"It has been detected that 53,735 decares of cultivated land, 639 decares of greenhouses, 403 cattle, 4,452 small cattle, 7,827 hives with bees, 29,516 poultry, 6,914 machinery, 2,976 tons of stored products and 2,167 agricultural structures have been damaged." (KÖ/SD)