Forest workers who battled flames across the western Turkish city of Manisa during this year’s wildfire season are now back in the field, working to restore the “green homeland” to its former state.
Hundreds of hectares across the province were affected by multiple fires over the summer. As nature begins to slowly regenerate, forestry teams have accelerated rehabilitation efforts in burned zones.
Crews who joined firefighting missions not only in their own province but across Türkiye are now devoting long hours to tree-planting and seeding operations.
One of the main focus areas for the Manisa Forest Management Directorate is a 255-hectare tract near Bahadır, a neighborhood in Saruhanlı district, which suffered major damage in a July wildfire. Workers first assessed the destruction, cutting and removing burned trees that could still be used as timber. After clearing the site, heavy machinery reshaped the terrain to prepare it for planting.
Foresters identified the exact points where saplings will be planted. In areas not suitable for planting due to the terrain, teams opted for seeding instead. After stripping the top layer of soil and preparing the ground, crews moved in to ready the land for saplings.
Izmir Regional Forestry Director Mahmut Yılmaz told Anadolu Agency (AA) that reforestation begins the same year as the fires, alongside suppression efforts.
Yılmaz said teams are simultaneously carrying out land clearing, rehabilitation and planting work across the 255-hectare burn area near Bahadır, where a fire broke out on July 15. “We are bringing our first saplings and seeds back to the soil. Through both seeding and planting, around 400,000 saplings will sprout in this area,” he said.
He noted that reforestation work is in full swing in both Izmir and Manisa during the planting season. “This year, we aim to complete about 70% of our afforestation work. By the end of 2026, we will reforest all burned areas,” he said.
“With our current plan, we will return the scorched land to our ‘green homeland’ by planting and seeding around 16 million saplings across damaged areas in Izmir and Manisa,” Yılmaz added.
