Last week, a series of fires broke out due to sudden increases in temperature, affecting numerous regions, Kibris Postasi reports. In response to the fires in Bağlıköy, Mersinlik-Tatlısu, and Hamitköy, emergency calls were made, urging citizens to support firefighting efforts. Residents, particularly those with pumps, construction equipment, and water tankers, were asked to assist in the fire zones.
In an interview with Kibris Postasi, Forest Department Director Ercan Poyraz discussed the measures taken to combat the fires. He announced that preparations to deploy fire-fighting aircraft have been initiated and that all necessary steps have been completed. “The necessary steps have been taken. The work has been done, and we now have a sufficient number of teams and equipment“, Poyraz stated.
Poyraz also highlighted additional measures aimed at improving the effectiveness of firefighting efforts and ensuring a rapid response in future incidents.
Meanwhile, in a separate report by Kibris Postasi, Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Chairman Tufan Erhürman, who commented on the fires that had erupted in different regions over the past two days, was less optimistic about the topic. In a social media post, Erhürman expressed his gratitude to the regional municipalities, their staff, Civil Defence, fire brigade, and security forces for their efforts in battling the fires.
Erhürman posed a critical question: “Are we going to address this issue and find a solution, or will we continue to ignore it and act as if fires are an impossibility?“
Erhürman’s full statement reads:
“We have become accustomed to fires as a routine occurrence. After each fire, we hear the same news and statements: ‘We are so sorry,’ ‘our lungs burned,’ ‘our teams worked through the night, and we thank them.’ Indeed, we owe immense gratitude to the regional municipalities, their staff, the Civil Defence, the fire brigade, and the security forces for their tireless efforts.
“But there is always a ‘but.’ We have a government that has remained largely unchanged for five years, repeatedly claiming ‘we have solved it, we will handle it’ regarding airborne firefighting vehicles. Requests for personnel and equipment from both the fire brigade and Civil Defence also fall under these promises. What about the preventive measures? Where are the reports, plans, and programmes for fire prevention? We need accountability!
“When a fire breaks out, officials rush to the scene, often disrupting the efforts of those working tirelessly. After expressing our sorrow and thanking the staff, we leave, essentially saying, ‘we’ll meet at the next fire.’ The phrase ‘whatever burns, burns; what remains alive is ours’ seems to be the prevailing attitude. And what remains?“
