Nine individuals have been arrested in connection with a series of forest fires that broke out between 12 and 17 August across six provinces in Turkey, according to an announcement by Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç on Monday.
The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into the fires in Aydın, Muğla, İzmir, Manisa, Bolu and Uşak, during which a total of 22 suspects were detained.
The arrests come amid growing concerns about Turkey’s ability to effectively combat forest fires from the air. Despite having a fleet of 26 aircraft and 105 helicopters, questions have been raised about the adequacy of Turkey’s firefighting resources, especially in comparison to neighbouring countries.
Turkey’s aerial firefighting fleet includes a mix of outdated and limited aircraft. The country currently has only three operational CL-215 twin-engine aircraft, after accidents and mechanical failures reduced the fleet from its original nine. In stark contrast, Greece, with a much smaller forested area, maintains an active fleet of 20 twin-engine firefighting aircraft, including 10 CL-215s and 10 CL-415s, with additional aircraft on order.
The situation is further exacerbated by the retirement and neglect of older aircraft, such as the 11 single-engine M-18 Dromader planes that were decommissioned by the Turkish Aeronautical Association a decade ago and have since been left to deteriorate ever since. Turkey recently leased similar aircraft from Poland to bolster its firefighting efforts, highlighting the country’s dependency on foreign resources.
Comparatively, countries with similar forested areas, such as Spain, are making significant investments in their firefighting capabilities. Spain has contracted to purchase seven DHC-515 aircraft, two of which will be available for EU member states in emergencies, and is modernising its fleet of 17 CL-215 and CL-415 aircraft at a cost of $375 million.
