Backlash against this video: Ministry says 'we are fighting,' but lack of equipment draws attention

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry shared footage of teams responding to a fire with the note, "We are in the field tirelessly, day and night. Our forest heroes are fighting selflessly for the Green Homeland with determination and courage." However, the fact that the footage showed the teams fighting the flames in nothing but t-shirts caused a widespread stir on social media and was viewed more than a million times.

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Citizens pointed out that the teams fighting the fire were working without adequate protective equipment, asking, "Will these heroes responding to the flames be left in these t-shirts if the wind turns?"

LACK OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AT THE CENTER OF THE BACKLASH

Some users expressed their reactions by saying, "It is easy to say we are in the field day and night, it is easy to send workers to the field in t-shirts! Just 1 week ago, we laid 10 of our foresters to rest. You provided neither proper equipment, nor clothing, nor a safe working environment." They continued their criticism with statements such as, "You talk about the Green Homeland... That homeland has become a graveyard for your cheap labor."

Another user criticized the situation by saying, "A human being would be ashamed to share this; there is no proper equipment, there is nothing. Even 4th-world countries probably have better equipment." These reactions have brought concerns regarding the safety of those working in firefighting back to the agenda.

"TURKISH WORKERS ARE WORKING ONLY IN REFLECTIVE VESTS LABELED 'FOREST'"

Journalist İsmail Saymaz, in his article for Halk TV, drew attention to the equipment of the teams that came from Azerbaijan to respond to the fire in Antalya, stating, "While the Azerbaijani teams arriving at the fire in Antalya wear flame-resistant clothing, carry devices capable of location tracking, and are monitored in real-time for vital parameters such as pulse and oxygen levels; Turkish workers have none of these systems. They are working only in reflective vests labeled 'Forest'."

News Source: 12punto