Turkey enacts forest‑area bans and reconstruction after recent wildfires

Across several provinces, Turkish officials have introduced strict restrictions on forest‑area access to curb the risk of new wildfires. In Manisa, a "Yangın Riskini Azaltma Planı" enabled neighborhood teams to stop 28 small fires before they spread. The districts of Çubuk (Ankara) and Çubuk have barred entry to all forest lands outside protected parks from 1 June to 30 September 2026, also prohibiting camping, tent‑setting and open‑fire cooking. Istanbul’s metropolitan government ordered a ban on forest‑area entry from 8 June to 15 October and prohibited fireworks, torches and similar pyrotechnics between 16 July and 28 October. Amasya’s governor issued a similar prohibition lasting until 31 October 2026, covering camping and the use of fire in forested areas. In Osmaniye’s Bahçe district, fire‑special‑team training and a large‑scale forest‑fire drill were conducted to test rapid response capabilities.

Parallel to these preventive measures, reconstruction of homes destroyed by the 2 July 2022 forest fire in Ödemiş (İzmir) is nearing completion. The Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) has rebuilt 138 village houses in the villages of Karadoğan, Üzümlı, Tosunlar and Suçıktı. The delivery of the new, earthquake‑resistant, locally‑styled homes is scheduled to begin at the end of the month, with Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Murat Kurum attending the foundation‑laying ceremony and pledging to visit the rebuilt homes.