Turkey has sent two firefighting planes and additional equipment to neighboring Syria to help tackle ongoing wildfires, even as the country struggles to contain blazes within its own borders, officials said Saturday.
According to Raed Al Saleh, Syria’s Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Turkey also dispatched 11 fire trucks and water-carrying vehicles to assist in putting out fires in Syria’s northwestern Latakia province. He noted in a post on X that “unexpected wildfires in Turkey” delayed their deployment by nearly a day.
Wildfires have been raging across parts of Turkey since June 26. Turkish Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli announced Saturday that crews had managed to bring 10 major fires under control in the western part of the country. However, an injured forestry worker died, marking the third fatality from the wildfires in Odemis, Izmir province.
Authorities believe many of the fires in Izmir were sparked by faulty power lines.
In Turkey’s southern Hatay province, near the Syrian border, firefighters continued battling a blaze that broke out Friday afternoon in the Dortyol district. The flames quickly spread due to strong winds, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.
Governor Mustafa Masatli said around 920 homes were evacuated as a precaution.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that 44 individuals had been detained in connection with 65 wildfires across the country.
Blazes across Turkey, Syria, and Greece over the past week have been driven by soaring temperatures, dry conditions, and powerful winds, leading to widespread evacuations and damage to hundreds of homes in Turkey alone.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Civil Defense has raised concerns over the presence of unexploded ordnance in some wildfire zones, remnants of the country’s years of conflict.
Experts warn that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of summer wildfires across the eastern Mediterranean region.
