Turkey is once again facing a fire disaster this year. The forest fires, which started in Izmir and are currently continuing in various regions such as Bursa, Karabük, Eskişehir, and Ankara, are heartbreaking for all of us. We are writing these lines to be a voice for our trees, our land, and the countless creatures living in those forests.
Our Forests Are Burning, It's Time For All Of Us To Step Up
Turkey is once again facing a fire disaster this year. The forest fires that started in İzmir and are currently continuing in various regions such as Bursa, Karabük, Eskişehir, and Ankara are breaking our hearts. We are writing these lines to be the voice of our trees, our land, and the countless creatures living in those forests.
This is not just a “fire season.” This is a scorching consequence of the climate crisis.
Why Can't These Fires Be Controlled?
One of the most debated issues in fighting fires in Turkey in recent years is the insufficient number of fire-fighting planes and helicopters.
So, Why?
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Insufficient Fleets & Temporary Leases:
Instead of establishing a permanent and strong fleet of fire-fighting planes, Turkey tries to solve the problem with temporary leases during fire seasons. This leaves us unprepared. -
Maintenance and Modernization Issues:
The inability to maintain some fire-fighting planes acquired in due time has rendered them unusable. This has led to the shrinkage of the existing fleet. -
Increased Fire Risk, but Fixed Resources:
While fires are becoming more frequent and destructive due to the climate crisis, the failure to increase fire-fighting capacity in parallel with this increase has created a significant gap. -
Bureaucratic Obstacles and Priority Issues:
Measures that need to be taken before the fire season can be delayed by tender processes or inter-institutional disagreements.
Who Suffers Most from These Fires?
These fires affect not only trees and forests but also thousands of living creatures, the ecosystem, and indirectly, all of us.
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Turtles, hedgehogs, squirrels, birds, and bees cannot escape.
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The soil dries up, and water sources decrease.
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Air pollution reaches our respiratory systems.
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Our living spaces for future generations are shrinking.
Every tree that burns and disappears takes a breath away from us.
We All Need to Pitch In
Just being sad is no longer enough to stop these disasters.
Everyone must take action, individually and collectively.
What Can We Do?
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Not starting fires in nature during fire seasons (even in picnic areas).
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Raising awareness in our surroundings to increase sensitivity towards forests.
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Not leaving waste in nature (such as glass bottles, plastics, cigarette butts that trigger fires).
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Volunteering for forest protection and reforestation efforts.
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Pressuring institutions and making our voices heard to ensure more air support and fire-fighting vehicles are provided.
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Reducing our carbon footprint in our daily lives (changing our consumption habits, shopping from conscious producers).
If We Remain Silent, We Will Be the Next to Lose
These fires are not just the responsibility of a few environmentally conscious individuals, but of every single person living in this country.
To protect our forests, our land, and our future, we must raise our voices and act together.
Before we lose our forests, our future, our breath.
