Flame of Summer: should tourists in Turkey and Cyprus worry about fires
The season of forest fires caused by abnormal heat and strong winds has once again become a severe test for the southern and central regions of Turkey and Cyprus. In Turkey, the fire came close to the city of Bursa, where more than 1,700 people had to be evacuated, and in Cyprus, a record 125 square kilometers of forest burned out in a few days and dozens of houses were damaged. Despite the alarming news, the situation in popular Turkish resorts is stable, and Russian tourists are in no hurry to cancel their travel packages. About how often forest fires occur in Turkey and whether travelers need to change their plans this summer, see the Izvestia article.
What is happening in Turkey with the fires in July 2025
More than 3,000 forest fires have been extinguished in Turkey since the beginning of summer, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. However, they could not be dealt with quickly: at the end of July, the fire element reached the territory of the country's fourth largest city, Bursa.
The fire is spreading rapidly and threatens not only the settlements, but also the infrastructure of the region. Battalions of firefighters are working in an enhanced mode, using both ground forces and aerial equipment — helicopters and fire extinguishers - to contain the fire and keep residents safe.
In the city of Bursa itself, a fire came close to residential buildings, which caused alarm among local residents and required an urgent evacuation. More than 1,700 people were evacuated from Bursa, and one firefighter is known to have died. Ashfall occurred in several areas.
1.3 thousand people were evacuated from the districts of Mersin and Karabyuk provinces. Local authorities are asking the public to take precautions and avoid dangerous areas. Emergency services are working at the scene, monitoring the situation and providing assistance to the injured.
The disaster reached Antalya and Bodrum, where about 200 houses and 60 thousand hectares of forest burned down. The fire even approached the Russian-Turkish Akkuyu nuclear power plant, and Russian Be-200 amphibious aircraft and helicopters joined the fight against the elements.
27 aircraft and 105 helicopters are deployed in the Ankara area to fight the fire. Despite this, the opposition criticizes the authorities, accusing them of a lack of fire equipment and personnel.
The situation is complicated by extreme heat and dry thunderstorms. The temperature in some cities in eastern Turkey has reached about 50 degrees. A historical record of 50.5 degrees was set in Silopi. According to forecasts of the General Directorate of Meteorology, the abnormal heat will persist until August 2 and exceed the seasonal average by 7-12 degrees.
The Turkish authorities continue to monitor the situation in the regions, and also maintain their readiness to receive international assistance to fight fires.
What is happening in Cyprus with the fires
Fires that occurred on July 23-25 in Limassol province covered an area of 125 square kilometers, which became a record for Cyprus. 191 buildings in 13 settlements were damaged by the fire, while 93 houses burned down completely. The victims of the disaster were two elderly people who died trapped in a fire during the evacuation.
According to the preliminary version, the fire was caused by deliberate arson of dry vegetation in the area of the village of Malia, but the culprits have not yet been found.
President of Cyprus Nicos Christodoulides apologized to the people for the shortcomings in the actions of the authorities in the fight against the largest wildfire in the country's history. In his televised address, he acknowledged that at a critical moment the state did not respond properly, and promised to analyze all errors to improve the response system to such emergencies.
What should Russian tourists do?
Experts from the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (PCT) note that fires in Turkey have become an almost regular occurrence in the summer and usually do not have a significant impact on the tourist flow. Experts assure that all the main resorts and tourist facilities are operating as usual.
The association "Turpomosh" informed Izvestia that there is no mass refusal to travel to Turkey and Cyprus due to forest fires. However, some tourists planning holidays in the immediate vicinity of the affected areas are seeking additional information and advice. At the same time, most popular resort areas, including Antalya, Istanbul and other destinations, remain unaffected by the fires, and the tourist infrastructure is functioning normally.
Experts advise vacationers to check up-to-date information from tour operators and closely monitor official reports. The ATOR recommended avoiding visiting forests and areas with recorded fires, and in case of smoke, using medical masks, as well as carrying documents, insurance, and contacts of the embassy or consulate of the Russian Federation.
Tour operators maintain constant contact with host companies and vacationers, especially in popular resort areas such as Antalya, where the situation remains calm. Experts, noted in the PCT, closely monitor the geography of fires and are ready to recommend a change of hotel or location in case of a threat to the safety of tourists.
"For safety, tourists need to monitor information from tour operators, as we are responsible for their lives and health. Otherwise, we will monitor the situation and figure out what the situation is, whether fires interfere with rest. In case of a threat, we will recommend changing the hotel or location," said Artur Muradian, CEO of the Space Travel tour operator.
When will the fires in Turkey and Cyprus end?
How long it will take to completely eliminate the current fires largely depends on weather conditions and the efforts of the fire services, experts say. As the temperature drops and the wind subsides, firefighters will have a chance to gradually surround and extinguish the remaining fires.
"Without a change in the weather, it is extremely difficult to localize such powerful fires — it can take many days of continuous work," said Vadim Petrov, deputy director of the Unified Scientific Center of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, VNII Ekologiya.
Fires in Turkey: how often do they happen
The reasons that large-scale forest fires break out in Turkey every summer are explained by a combination of natural conditions and human factors. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by very hot and dry summers (from the end of June to September), so the forests of the region are annually at increased risk of fires. Parched vegetation heated by the sun is easily ignited by any spark.
In recent years, Turkey has been experiencing increasingly devastating forest fires. The reason for this is considered to be climate change. Abnormal heat waves, prolonged droughts and the human factor turn the summer months into a period of real disaster. Statistics from recent years paint an alarming picture: every year, fire engulfs new territories, destroying forests, threatening human settlements and causing multimillion-dollar damage to the economy.
The Turkish summer of 2021 is considered to be one of the worst natural disasters in terms of scale. At that time, fires were concentrated in 30 provinces. Tourist centers such as Antalya were particularly affected, where the fire came close to hotels and residential areas. Nine people died as a result of the disaster, tens of thousands were evacuated. The authorities admitted that the fire fighting system was not ready for such a large-scale disaster.
The next two years brought no relief. In 2022, the number of fires decreased, but they still occurred at critical points - in Marmaris and Bodrum. Heat at +45 degrees and strong winds prevented extinguishing, and smoke from burning forests covered even Istanbul. In 2023, Turkey was engulfed by more than 150 fires, which led to about 50 thousand hectares of burnt-out land. Local residents and volunteers battled the flames for weeks, while international teams helped Turkish firefighters from the air.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
