More than 50,000 evacuated as Turkey wildfires rage: disaster agency
"A total of over 50,000 citizens from 41 settlements have been temporarily relocated to safe areas," AFAD wrote on X, saying most of them were from fires raging near the western resort of Izmir.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
09-08-2025
- Daily Tribune
Two Emiratis Killed, Three Injured in Tour Bus Accident in Northern Turkey
A tragic road accident in northern Turkey claimed the lives of two Emirati citizens and left three others injured, all members of the same family, when their tourist bus overturned near Balık Lake in the Çaykara district of Trabzon on Friday. According to Turkey's IHA news agency, the bus veered off the road and plunged toward a riverbed. Local residents and fellow tourists alerted authorities, prompting the swift arrival of gendarmerie units, ambulances, and emergency medical teams. A medical helicopter was also dispatched to assist in the evacuation of the injured. The victims were trapped inside the vehicle and were freed after an extensive rescue operation. Preliminary reports identified the deceased as Maryam Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 18, and Abdul Majid Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 32. The injured — Ibrahim Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 15; Samira Mohammed Abdul Rahman, 53; and Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, 60 — were transported to a nearby state hospital for treatment. Turkish authorities have launched a full investigation into the cause of the crash, which occurred in an area popular among tourists for its scenic lake views and mountain landscapes. This incident adds to a series of recent traffic accidents in the region, raising concerns about road safety on winding mountainous routes often used by tourist buses.
Gulf Insider
22-07-2025
- Gulf Insider
EU Relaxes Schengen Visa Rules for Some Citizens
The European Union has relaxed visa requirements for Turkish citizens seeking to enter the Schengen area, with new measures taking effect from July 15, aimed at addressing long-standing complaints about bureaucratic delays. EU Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Hans Ossowski announced the changes on Friday, describing them as a step towards resolving issues that have frustrated Turkish travellers for years, Reuters reported. The European Commission's decision simplifies the process for obtaining multiple-entry visas to the 27-country bloc. Unified visa for UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman launching 'soon' says GCC chief Under the new system, Turkish citizens who have previously used visas correctly can obtain a six-month visa from their second application. This can then be extended to one-year, three-year and five-year multiple-entry visas in subsequent applications. 'It will be much easier and much faster for Turkish citizens,' Ossowski told reporters in Ankara. The ambassador acknowledged the changes would help address Turkish complaints about lengthy bureaucratic processes but warned the measures would not permanently solve all problems. For years, Turkish citizens have faced delays in the EU's visa system, which operates through accredited visa agencies that have struggled with high application volumes. Turkey's foreign ministry welcomed the move and confirmed that Turkish institutions and the EU Commission would continue seeking further visa relaxation measures. Trade Minister Omer Bolat described the decision as a 'facilitation that our citizens have been awaiting for a long time.' Speaking to the state-owned Anadolu news agency, Bolat also said Turkey wanted to begin talks on modernising its customs union with the EU and expanding the accord to include service and e-commerce sectors. The visa changes come amid signs of renewed engagement between Turkey and the EU after years of strained relations. Turkey has held EU membership candidate status since 1999, but its accession process has been frozen over concerns including human rights and democratic backsliding. Recent months have seen increased economic cooperation and diplomatic engagement. Ossowski emphasised that the EU has offered Turkey visa-free travel prospects for more than a decade and called for urgent revival of the liberalisation process. 'Every other candidate country has visa-free travel except Turkey,' he said. 'It is urgent to re-engage in this process of visa-free travel in the Schengen space and the EU.' The European Commission plans to restart formal negotiations after the summer break and will work with Ankara on fulfilling six remaining benchmarks required by the visa liberalisation roadmap, according to Ossowski. 'We are ready, the Commission is ready to work closely with Turkish authorities,' he said. The EU and Turkey have been discussing possible workarounds to address the slow processing times that have affected Turkish visa applications due to high demand. Also read: Turkey Becomes First Country To Block Grok After The AI Bot Insults Erdoğan
Daily Tribune
01-07-2025
- Daily Tribune
Rescuers evacuate 50,000 as Turkey battles wildfires
Rescuers in Turkey have evacuated more than 50,000 people, mostly from the western province of Izmir, as firefighters battled a string of wildfires, the AFAD disaster agency said Monday. The worst blaze began Sunday in Seferihisar, a forested area 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of the resort city of Izmir, spreading rapidly with winds of up to 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour, officials said. "A total of over 50,000 citizens from 41 settlements have been temporarily relocated to safe areas," AFAD wrote on X, saying 79 people had been affected by smoke and other fire-related issues, none seriously. Of that number, 42,300 were evacuated from Seferihisar, where TV footage showed huge areas of flame raging through forested areas, sending vast clouds of black smoke into the sky. Overnight, around 20 evacuated homes were gutted by the blaze, with only the walls left standing, footage on private TV network NTV showed. Residents in the seaside village of Urkmez had on Sunday felled trees to create firebreaks and protect their homes as the flames advanced, a witness told AFP. "Unfortunately, the wind is continuing to blow very strongly," Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli told reporters on Monday afternoon. The Turkish State Meteorological Service warned about strong winds over the weekend. Flights briefly suspended Yumakli said more than 1,000 people had been drafted in to tackle the blaze with four planes, 14 helicopters and 106 fire trucks. AFAD said another 3,000 residents were evacuated from Manisa, 40 kilometres north of Izmir. Another 1,500 people were forced out of their homes in the southern Hatay region, where four helicopters, 211 fire engines and 540 firefighters were fighting a blaze some 10 kilometres north of the city of Antakya, the governor said. Around 850 others were forced to flee from two other wildfires in northwestern Turkey, AFAD said. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X that one person had been arrested for allegedly starting one of the wildfires in the Izmir area with gaso - line. " The suspect is alleged to have set fire to their own residence, (which) subsequently caused a forest fire," he wrote, without giving further details. Since Friday, 263 fires had broken out across Turkey, of which 259 were under control while efforts were ongoing to fight the remaining four, the agriculture and forestry ministry said. Izmir airport, which temporarily suspended flights on Sunday, resumed operations, Turkish media reported. Wildfires have ravaged nearly 19,000 hectares of land across Turkey so far this year, according to website of the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). Experts say human-driven climate change is causing more frequent and more intense wildfires and other natural disasters, and have warned Turkey to take measures to tackle the problem.
