AKP Phnom Penh, 01 July, 2025--
Türkiye has evacuated more than 50,000 people from regions affected by forest fires across the country, with the western province of Izmir accounting for the majority of evacuations, the country's disaster agency said on Monday.

Fires have swept through parts of Izmir, Bilecik, Hatay, Sakarya, and Manisa provinces, prompting authorities to relocate residents from 41 different settlements to temporary safe zones, according to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

AFAD reported that 42,300 people were evacuated from Seferihisar, a popular summer district southwest of Izmir.

The agency also confirmed the evacuation of approximately 2,936 residents from Manisa's Akhisar district, 1,500 from five neighborhoods in Hatay, 609 from Bilecik, and 230 from two neighborhoods in Sakarya. Around 850 people were forced to flee wildfires in northwestern Türkiye.

Over the past three days, emergency teams have responded to 263 wildfires nationwide, Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said during a press briefing in Izmir on Monday.

Initial damage assessments revealed the destruction of 132 homes and one business in Izmir, as well as 64 homes, three businesses, and 20 barns in Bilecik, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on social media platform X on Monday.

So far, 79 people have been treated for smoke inhalation or other fire-related issues and discharged, AFAD said. One person in Bilecik remains under medical care. A total of 134 people who requested shelter are being housed in public facilities, authorities added.

Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport, which had temporarily suspended operations on Sunday due to the fires, has since resumed flights, local media reported.

As Türkiye faces longer, hotter summers, forest fires have become increasingly frequent and intense-an ongoing crisis that experts attribute to climate change.

AKP-Xinhua