CHP deputy draws attention to that danger: Striking statement regarding the fires

Reactions are growing regarding the forest fires in Bursa. CHP Bursa Deputy Orhan Sarıbal emphasized the inadequacy of aerial intervention in the spread of the fire and harshly criticized the government's forestry policies. Sarıbal stated that ground-based efforts to combat the fire are insufficient and that the problem cannot be solved without aerial support.

"AERIAL INTERVENTION IS WEAK"

Sarıbal said, "In such rugged terrain, in rocky areas where the slope reaches 90 percent, a fire cannot be extinguished." Stating that helicopters and planes are not sufficiently effective in fighting the fire, Sarıbal said, "We have been fighting since last night, but the truth is that as long as aerial intervention remains this weak, the fire will continue."

Sarıbal noted the following:

"The fire, which started around 17:30 yesterday, unfortunately spread rapidly due to the lack of aerial intervention. Why was it so effective? Because the temperature was very high. Three main reasons: low humidity, high temperature, and wind. The fire spread very quickly. These are what we call the Samanlı Mountains, multiple mountains with rugged and scattered vegetation. It is intertwined with residential areas. There is a TOKİ housing project right there.

We fought so hard to prevent it, but it was built. Just because of the ambition of a mayor, over 2,000 residences were built. 8,000 people live there. When you build a settlement in such a place, you think about storms, you think about earthquakes. Of course, you think about fire, but they built it anyway. When the fire spread rapidly last night, Karahıdır Village was completely evacuated, and İğdir Village was partially evacuated. Avdancık village was partially evacuated. So many villages were evacuated and affected that, of course, living creatures, small livestock, shelters, insects, natural life, ecological life, everything was destroyed.

"If you add it up, there haven't been 10 water drops from the air"

These mountains have a feature: if these mountains didn't exist, it wouldn't rain in Bursa. When it snows on this mountain, we know that our harvest will be bountiful that year. When we were children, we used to do animal husbandry here, we used to herd sheep; unfortunately, I am very sad. Yenişehir Airport is right there. It is 30 kilometers as the crow flies. If a plane took off from there, it would be here in 10 minutes. The Gulf of Gemlik has a very high water-intake capacity. There is the Gölbaşı Freshwater Dam. Also, very close by, there is the Ericek Dam and the Demirtaş Dam. A helicopter could very easily take water from all these water basins I mentioned. But they weren't there, they didn't come. From yesterday until today, if you add it up, there haven't been 10 water drops from the air. But a great struggle was waged from the ground.

The truth is that in such rugged areas where the slope reaches 90 percent and there are rocks, you cannot extinguish the fire from the ground. Since last night, villagers, farmers, AFAD, and the municipalities of Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli, Balıkesir, Yalova, and Denizli have come. All of Bursa's municipalities came, but the fire did not go out and continues. The Minister made a statement saying, 'We have stopped the fire.' Do you know how the fire stops here? The fire stops at the point where there is nothing left to burn. Because there is no pine, plant, or living thing left to burn.

Despite so much effort yesterday, there was no aerial intervention at night. In the morning, the fires continued both from the places from last night and from new locations. Currently, there is fire activity in over 50 spots. Fire is extinguished by air. Existing embers are extinguished by land, and the fire ends. But this was never possible. As long as this wind continues, as long as this humidity persists, and as long as helicopter and plane intervention from the air is this weak, the fire will continue here."

"What did you do with the money you earned from the forests for 23 years?"

The Palace has 12-13 planes, 7-8 palaces. There is money for these. I would like to ask this question through you: What did you do with the money from those products that you turned into chipboard, turned into wood, and briefly turned into trade over the last 23 years? If you had invested the money you received from those products into planes, forest management, and forest planning, if you had planted cypress trees in front of fire roads to prevent pine cones from being thrown and flying, this would not have happened today.

"Unfortunately, the entire responsibility for this lies with the government's fundamental policies"

Who should I blame? Should I blame the climate because there is wind? Unfortunately, the entire responsibility for this lies with the government's fundamental policies. Their preference is like this. They abandoned the forests to their fate. If it doesn't rain in this region, Bursa will remain thirsty. If there is no water in these mountains, if there is no snow, Bursa cannot find its water. Forests are necessary for it to rain. Well, are there any? Unfortunately, no.

"The Turkish Aeronautical Association's planes are currently waiting in Ankara"

The fire has not been fully extinguished anywhere. This fire, which affects approximately 10 villages, continues. None of them have gone out. Fires that appear to be extinguished can reignite with the movement of a single pine cone. There is only one plane in sight. In 2023, there were only about 1,400 forest fires. In 2024, 2,500 forest fires were detected throughout the year. But we are heading towards the end of July right now, and there are over 3,000 fires. This means 'take precautions.' The Turkish Aeronautical Association's planes are currently waiting in Ankara; why don't we get help from them?

"This is hell..."

It is such a day that we are waiting for the fire to stop. I don't want to engage in politics, but you know how they tell citizens 'be grateful in this world, we will send you to heaven in the next' by scaring them with hell... This is hell. The way to get rid of this hell is reason, science, joint struggle, investing, being scientific, and taking precautions.

They approved the Mining Law. Pastures, forests, all of it was done for the sake of the country's future, so to speak, but we see that these forests will burn even more. Anything can happen. You must be ready to extinguish a forest fire. You must use this country's resources for this.

Not for the palace, for the plane, for your own private jet, for prisons. You will spend it here. What more can I say? Who should I blame and how? Everything that has happened to us has happened because of that palace, its ministers, and their practices. They are responsible for this."

News Source: 12punto