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Türkiye's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that over 50,000 people have been temporarily relocated to safe zones following forest fires in the provinces of Izmir, Bilecik, and Hatay.
The update was shared via the minister’s social media account.
"In the aftermath of the forest fires in Izmir, Bilecik, and Hatay, over 50,000 of our citizens were temporarily moved to secure areas," Yerlikaya stated.
Preliminary reports show that 64 homes, 3 businesses, and 20 barns were affected in Bilecik, while 132 homes and 1 business were damaged in Izmir.
Yerlikaya confirmed that a "General Impact on Daily Life" declaration was issued for both Bilecik and Izmir.
The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) allocated ₺30 million ($754.2K) each to the governorates of Bilecik and Izmir, totaling ₺60 million ($1.5M) in emergency relief funding.
In Hatay’s central Antakya district, a forest fire near residential areas prompted an immediate response by firefighting teams supported by two helicopters.
Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatli stated, "We began evacuations in the Karaali, Oglakoren, and Ucgedik neighborhoods. We have evacuated approximately 1,500 people and are currently housing them in public dormitories within the city."
He added that no casualties had been reported and that a coordinated response was underway involving law enforcement, forestry, and emergency services. "The most important thing here is that, as of now, we have no loss of life," he said.
In Mardin’s Mazidagi district, a fire that broke out between the Yalinagac and Meseli neighborhoods was brought under control by teams from the Forest Management Directorate and the Metropolitan Municipality fire services.
Cooling efforts are ongoing in the affected areas.
In Adana’s Kozan district, a wildfire in the Mahyalar area was also contained after aerial and ground-based interventions. In Mersin’s Bozyazi district, a fire that erupted in a forest area near the Lenger neighborhood continues to be battled by air and ground units. Efforts are focused on bringing the blaze under control.
The General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry operates a centralized Fire Command Center responsible for coordinating fire response operations across the country.
The center manages incident reporting, resource allocation, and field operations around the clock.
The center also hosts a dedicated UAV operations room, where unmanned aerial vehicles provide continuous surveillance and data transmission during fire events. Data from the Meteorological Early Warning System (MEUS) helps identify at-risk areas and allows for preemptive positioning of firefighting units.
A decision support system enhanced by artificial intelligence is used to identify high-risk areas before fires break out, enabling proactive measures.
In large-scale incidents, the newly deployed Mobile Fire Management Vehicle is dispatched to coordinate operations on-site.
If a fire is assessed as potentially escalating into a national emergency, reserve assets from the Turkish Armed Forces, gendarmerie, and other public institutions are mobilized as part of Türkiye’s disaster response planning.
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