Minister Yumaklı responds to criticism of inadequate intervention: 'We don't have planes and fire trucks in our pockets'

Turkey has once again been caught unprepared for forest fires. Fires that broke out in many provinces, primarily in Karabük and Bursa, spread over a wide area due to the inadequacy of aerial intervention and the effect of the wind.

Citizens also mobilized to support the ground-based extinguishing efforts. Moments showing motorcycle couriers voluntarily carrying water and ayran to teams in the fire zone were among the most discussed images on social media.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı expressed his frustration with the 'inadequate intervention' criticisms during a press statement regarding the forest fires across the country.

Listing the high-risk regions, Yumaklı responded to the reactions by saying, "We don't have planes and fire trucks in our pockets; by the time you move them from one place to another, especially if there is wind, it takes hours, even days to bring it under control. I ask our 86 million citizens to approach this with sensitivity."

Yumaklı's statements are as follows:

"Starting with our coastal areas that pose a major risk, today the south of Marmara, the north of the Aegean, the Western Black Sea, and even the interior of the Aegean appear to be at risk. We have positioned all our resources and assets at these points. However, we don't have planes and fire trucks in our pockets to move from one place to another. When moving from one place to another, especially if there is wind, it can take hours or days to bring it under control. When you detect the slightest smoke or any issue related to fire, please call 112."

News Source : 12punto