Massive summer forest fires in Turkey have been very much in the news, along with heavy criticism that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s interventions have been inadequate. The fires have provided strong ammunition for the political opposition.
Major fires broke out in the renowned Mediterranean resort towns of Dalaman and Gocek in July and in the Aegean coastal provinces of Izmir and Canakkale in August. The ministry slow to send helicopters to fight the flames and refused to use three CL-215 fire-fighting planes owned by the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK), saying the planes weren't safe, triggering severe criticism of Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli.
