Türkiye has made significant progress in controlling a series of forest fires across various regions, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı announced on Saturday.
Fires in Bilecik’s Osmaneli district and Bolu’s Göynük district have been fully contained, while the blazes along the Sakarya-Bilecik provincial border and in Manisa’s Akhisar district are largely under control.
Speaking to reporters in Taraklı, a district in Sakarya, northwestern Türkiye, Yumaklı said the firefighting teams continue to operate intensively on both land and from the air. "In just two days, our firefighting aircraft conducted 350 sorties, while helicopters carried out 2,300,” the minister stated.
The minister underscored that cooling operations are still ongoing in Sakarya-Bilecik and Manisa-Akhisar. He noted that while some smoldering may persist in the coming days, there is no indication of a renewed threat.
Yumaklı emphasized the challenging topography of the fire zones and commended the efforts of forestry personnel, who cleared approximately 58 kilometers (36 miles) of forest roads overnight through rugged and mountainous terrain. He noted that morning rainfall in the Sakarya-Bilecik area had also helped ease the burden on ground teams.
"While these developments are promising, this does not mean the risk has been fully eliminated,” Yumaklı cautioned. "Forecasts from the Meteorology Directorate point to strong winds, even at storm levels. We must maintain double the level of alertness compared to previous days.”
Yumaklı further stated that investigations into the causes of the fires are ongoing. He assured the public that those responsible will face the heaviest legal penalties. "Security units are working meticulously, and we will follow the process closely to ensure accountability,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to supporting institutions, Yumaklı thanked the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Directorate of Communications, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and local municipalities for their coordinated efforts. He also praised the tireless work of firefighting personnel and volunteers across the affected regions.
"Our forest teams fought fires in areas hidden deep within the trees, where their work could not be seen. Despite fatigue and harsh conditions, they succeeded in delivering positive news once again. We are proud of their dedication,” he added.
Yumaklı was accompanied during the press briefing by Sakarya Governor Rahmi Doğan, members of Parliament from the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), as well as local officials. Following the press conference, Yumaklı posed for a group photo with firefighting personnel.
Authorities remain on high alert across the country as wildfire season continues, with all relevant institutions maintaining preparedness for potential new outbreaks.
Efforts to extinguish and cool down a forest fire that broke out in Sakarya and later spread into Bilecik are continuing.
The fire, which began on June 27 in a forested area in the Paşalar locality of Hacıyakuplar neighborhood in Sakarya’s Taraklı district and spread into neighboring Bilecik, was largely brought under control on Sunday after two days of intense operations. However, response teams remain active in the area.
Forestry Directorate teams and Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality firefighting crews are conducting cooling operations in areas where the flames have subsided. In parts of the rugged terrain where the fire continues in isolated sections, crews are still working to fully extinguish the blaze.
Meanwhile, aerial footage shows that both firefighting and cooling efforts are ongoing and the forest zones damaged by the flames.