Wildfires damage Anzac war memorials in Çanakkale

Duvar English

After a day-long wildfire in western Çanakkale province was extinguished on Aug. 16, the extent of the damage to the historical war site of Gallipoli, including the Anzac memorials, became apparent.

The Directorate of Gallipoli Site on Aug. 15 announced that the entrance to the historic site was temporarily halted as the flames approached war memorials from the Battle of Çanakkale fought in 1915 between Entente Powers and the Ottoman Empire. 

The Canterbury Cemetery of the Anzacs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) and Anzac Cove were also damaged in the fire.

The cemetery was established in 1919 by consolidating nearby cemeteries and relocating individual graves. It is named after the Canterbury Battalion, as 22 soldiers from this battalion are buried there, along with 5 unknown soldiers, making it a significant site within the New Zealand operation area during the war.

Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı on Aug. 15 stated that 42 fires have broken out across the country, including 19 in forests and 23 in rural areas. He mentioned that there were three fires, including one in Gallipoli, which were classified as "high risk.”

The minister on Aug. 16 that the firefighter teams had controlled the fire in the Gallipoli region. 

Wildfires spread across country

Bolu

A wildfire that began on Aug. 15 in Bolu province in the western Black Sea region has not been brought under control as of noon on Aug. 16.

Minister Yumaklı stated that the flames spread due to very low humidity along with strong winds and added, “Currently, three villages (in Bolu) are at risk. Measures have been taken to evacuate these when any threat emerges. A village have been already evacuated.”

Bolu Governor Erkan Kılıç said that the area damaged so far was approximately 100 hectares.

The smoke from the wildfire in Bolu, driven by strong winds, reached nearly 200 kilometers away in central Anatolian Eskişehir province.

Manisa

A forest fire also broke out in three regions close to each other in the Gördes district of the western province of Manisa. 

As the wildfires entered their third day on Aug. 16, two neighborhoods were evacuated while several homes in one neighborhood were damaged.

İzmir

A fire broke out in the forest in Yamanlar Mountain in the Karşıyaka district of İzmir on the evening of Aug. 15.

Many surrounding districts were also affected by the fire and extensive security measures were taken due to the fire that progressed to Doğançay district centre. Security units are trying to evacuate the Doğançay center. 

In the district where the sky was covered with smoke, the electricity of some neighborhoods was cut off as a precautionary measure.

İrfan Önal, Mayor of Bayraklı District, shared on his X account, "Unfortunately, the fire in Doğançay region has reached the residential areas with the effect of the wind. We ask our citizens living in the area to evacuate their homes as soon as possible."

Mersin

Forest fires that started on Aug. 15 at four different points in Mediterranean Mersin's Silifke district were extinguished with the aerial and ground operations of the teams.

Forestry Minister Yumaklı emphasized that there is a very risky period of three days until Aug. 18.

"There will be low humidity, high temperature, and strong winds much higher than what we have experienced so far. We especially ask our citizens to avoid any action that may cause fires in all our provinces at risk in the basin starting from Çanakkale to the Mediterranean region. We indeed act (like under) a mobilization campaign in our country for the next three days", the minister underscored.