İmamoğlu's 'Don't hide the truth' outburst regarding the fires! He calls on the government...

CHP's presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is currently detained at Silivri Prison, has criticized the government regarding the forest fires that have broken out in various parts of the country and remain unextinguished.

Recalling the government's recurring statement that "We are the most prepared country for fires," İmamoğlu asked, "Then why are our forests still burning to the ground? Why do flames destroy living creatures, nature, and villages every summer?" and continued as follows:

"The government still fails to grasp the threat magnified by global warming. It lags behind the spirit of solidarity shown by society, the effort of volunteers, and the spirit of mobilization among those protecting the forests at the cost of their lives. And most importantly, it approaches even this vital issue with political concerns."

Calling on the government for transparency, İmamoğlu said, "Do not hide the truth so that we can address the shortcomings together. Come on, stop the partisanship. For once, think about the future of the country."

"The forests are burning, but the government still repeats the same words, and the same response is given to every criticism:
“We are the most prepared country for fires.”
Then why are our forests still burning to the ground?
Why do flames destroy living creatures, nature, and villages every summer?
The answer is clear:
The government,…

— Presidential Candidate Office (@CBAdayOfisi) July 29, 2025

The full statement by İmamoğlu is as follows:

"The forests are burning, but the government still repeats the same words, and the same response is given to every criticism: “We are the most prepared country for fires.”

Then why are our forests still burning to the ground? Why do flames destroy living creatures, nature, and villages every summer?

The answer is clear:

The government still fails to grasp the threat magnified by global warming. It lags behind the spirit of solidarity shown by society, the effort of volunteers, and the spirit of mobilization among those protecting the forests at the cost of their lives.

And most importantly, it approaches even this vital issue with political concerns.

We experience the same thing every year: “Are there enough planes to intervene in forest fires or not?” People are still fighting over this. Those who said there were planes when there were none now say the “fleet is sufficient,” but no one believes it anymore.

Come on, be transparent. Do not hide the truth so that we can address the shortcomings together. Come on, stop the partisanship.

When choosing forest workers, experts, and administrators, prefer qualified people who know the region and the job. Do not act according to political references.

And please...

For once, think about the future of the country. Allocate a small portion of the resources you spent on staging a coup against democracy to planes, helicopters, and modern intervention equipment. Revive the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK). Put coordination in capable hands. Utilize the power of local governments regardless of their party.

We can extinguish these fires all together. But first, we need to eliminate prejudices, political interests, and negligence."

News Source: 12punto