Turkey Deploys Drones to Detect and Combat Forest Fires

The Republic of Turkey is expanding the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to improve forest‑fire management. In 2023 the country ranked first in Europe for deploying drones to locate and fight fires early. The city of İzmir has equipped its fire service with DJI drones that carry thermal‑imaging cameras capable of pinpointing hot spots through dense smoke and transmitting live images and GPS coordinates to command centres for rapid dispatch of ground crews. İzmir officials say the technology allows faster, safer responses and better evacuation planning for nearby residential areas.

In the nearby city of Adana, the forestry department has modified a drone to carry fire‑fighting gear, first‑aid kits and other supplies into otherwise inaccessible terrain, reducing risk to firefighters. The initiative is part of a broader national push that began in 2016 to develop domestic drone capabilities, led by the defence firm Baykar, whose technical director is a son‑in‑law of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Baykar’s combat drones, such as the Bayraktar TB2, have previously been used in counter‑insurgency operations and exported to Ukraine.