ISTANBUL — Firefighters continued battling forest fires Thursday in Turkey's popular tourist regions of Antalya and the Dardanelles, authorities reported.

 

At least 115 active fires were billowing across the country, but 110 were completely under control, Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said Thursday.

 

According to the minister, who was speaking live on Thursday from the wildfire coordination centre in Ankara, 69 of the fires that were being battled Wednesday ignited "outside forested areas."

 

Meanwhile, the forestry directorate earlier said that it was carrying out "intensive operations with our air and ground forces against the ongoing forest fires," which broke out Wednesday due to strong winds.

 

The directorate specifically mentioned the Antalya to Alanya and Mugla to Fethiye routes, where seaside resorts line up along the "Turquoise Coast" on the Mediterranean shore.

 

"Our struggle to protect the green homeland continues throughout the country," the directorate said on X.

 

Yumakli reassured on X that the four main fires in the regions of Mugla, Antalya and Kas, Balikesir and Canakkale in the Dardanelles "are largely under control".

 

Yumakli did not specify the size of the areas affected.

 

Other, smaller outbreaks were also under control, he added.

 

The number of fires had increased from earlier reports by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who cited 90 fire outbreaks on Wednesday alone in Turkey.

 

Turkey had faced fires early in 2025 owing to drought, but had been spared this season thanks to heavy rain and snowfall in the winter that had replenished the groundwater and protected the vegetation.