Every summer, thousands of hectares of Turkey's scarce forests are wiped out by fires, some for commercial purposes, others the result of arson and still others from carelessness. The difference this year is that the forests of southeastern Turkey are burning instead of the forests in the west.
As Turkey was preparing for Eid al-Fitr celebrations at the conclusion of Ramadan, news came from Sirnak on the night of July 15 of forest fires on Mount Cudi, a location well known in Turkey from the struggle with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The fighters the PKK sent into Turkey used trails on Cudi Mountain, providing it steady mention in the news.