Over 3,600 residents have been evacuated across Turkey as wildfires continue to sweep through multiple provinces during a record-breaking heatwave across the Mediterranean, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Firefighters are battling intense blazes in the southern provinces of Mersin and Antalya, as well as in central Usak.
According to Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli, the fires in these areas are largely under control. However, active wildfires persist in the northwestern province of Bursa and northern Karabuk.
In Bursa, home to much of Turkey’s automotive industry, a major forest fire erupted on Saturday. The flames forced the temporary closure of a key highway connecting Istanbul and the western city of Izmir, Anadolu Agency reported.
Dramatic footage showed raging flames engulfing trees near residential areas in Bursa, with thick smoke blanketing the skies above the city.
Authorities evacuated approximately 1,765 people from the Kestel district alone, Yumakli said. Around 2,000 firefighters are on the ground, supported by six firefighting aircraft and four helicopters.
In Karabuk, where large-scale fires have been burning for five consecutive days, 1,839 residents from 19 villages were evacuated. Firefighting efforts there are being supported by three airplanes and 16 helicopters amid extremely challenging conditions.
Minister Yumakli warned that the situation remains critical, noting that the heatwave is expected to persist. He stated, “We are going through dangerous times, and this will not be over in just two or three days.”
Turkey’s meteorological service forecast temperatures exceeding 40°C across several regions on Sunday, which is between 6 and 12 degrees above seasonal averages.
On Saturday, temperatures in southeastern Turkey reached an unprecedented 50°C for the first time in recorded history.
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