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Violent forest fires have been raging in southern Europe for days - also in this forest section near Manavgat in the southern Turkish holiday region of Antalya. The fires in Turkey are the worst in more than a decade. Eight people have now been killed by the fire, dozen of villages and hotels have been evacuated, and the fire brigade has not yet controlled seven of 129 major fires across the country. In the fight against the flames, the EU sent fire fighting planes from Spain and Croatia to Turkey on Monday. In Marmaris, residents tried desperately to put out the fire with buckets and bottles. They complain that the government has hesitated too long to provide help from the air.
Gulhan, resident:
»Whoever comes here should come at last. We can't do it without a helicopter. Are we supposed to blow up ourselves? We are lending a hand here as a whole village. We didn't run away. The government should see this, and not run away and send a couple of their planes. "
Since the fires could cut off the land route to Marmaris, lifeboats are ready for evacuations on the coast. It is 40 degrees and the emergency services fear that the strong wind will continue to fan the flames. Almost 95,000 hectares have fallen victim to the fire in Turkey since the beginning of the year. The forest fires are also devastating in Spain, Italy and Greece. More than 300 hectares of pine and olive groves have been burning in the Peloponnese since Saturday, and six places have been evacuated there. On Monday morning, the fire was not yet under control here at up to 45 degrees. The all-clear, however, was given for the island of Rhodes. Experts see climate change as the reason for the extreme heat wave that southern Europe is suffering from.
