ANKARA: Fires that have ravaged forests around Turkiye’s third most-populous city Izmir for the past four days have largely been brought under control, authorities said Sunday.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said that efforts to douse hotspots were continuing but that the flames were now largely controlled in one place.
“There is no risk in the section overlooking the city. Firefighters have trapped the fire in a valley. Thank God, this fire in the Yamanlar area of Izmir is now under control,” Yumakli told reporters.
Among the new fires that broke out Saturday in the province of Izmir, one threatening the seaside resort of Cesme was also brought under control without any injuries, which was partly down to the prompt evacuation of residents, the minister said.
Flames continued to char steep valleys in a district some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Izmir, but at a slower pace, Yumakli added.
At least 43 buildings were damaged in Izmir, while 26 people were hospitalized with injuries related to the blaze, according to Urban Planning Minister Murat Kurum.
Wild animals, cats and dogs died in the fire but no human victims have yet been reported.
Scientists say climate change makes extreme weather events including heatwaves more likely, longer lasting and more intense, increasing the risk of wildfires.
The Izmir fire started on Thursday and spread quickly to residential areas by winds blowing at 50 kilometers (30 miles) an hour.
Firefighters were dispatched from several towns, while the army and police forces were also mobilized in the effort.
Five other fires continue to rage in forest areas in other cities in Turkiye, including northwestern Bolu and Aydin in the west.
The Izmir fire was the biggest Turkiye has seen this summer.
In June, a fire that broke out in Mardin in southeastern Turkiye claimed the lives of 15 people.
Forest fires in Turkiye under control: minister
https://arab.news/rz7df
Forest fires in Turkiye under control: minister
- Efforts to douse hotspots were continuing but that the flames were now largely controlled in one place
- At least 43 buildings were damaged in Izmir, while 26 people were hospitalized
Israel’s Netanyahu hopes to ‘taper’ Israel off US military aid in next decade
- Netanyahu has said Israel should not be reliant on foreign military aid but has stopped short of declaring a firm timeline for when Israel would be fully independent from the US
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published on Friday that he hopes to “taper off” Israeli dependence on American military aid in the next decade.
Netanyahu has said Israel should not be reliant on foreign military aid but has stopped short of declaring a firm timeline for when Israel would be fully independent from the US
“I want to taper off the military within the next 10 years,” Netanyahu told the Economist. Asked if that meant a tapering “down to zero,” he said, “Yes.”
Netanyahu said he told President Donald Trump during a recent visit that Israel “very deeply” appreciates “the military aid that America has given us over the years, but here too we’ve come of age and we’ve developed incredible capacities.”
In December, Netanyahu said Israel would spend 350 billion shekels ($110 billion) on developing an independent arms industry to reduce dependency on other countries.
In 2016, the US and Israeli governments signed a memorandum of understanding for the 10 years through September 2028 that provides $38 billion in military aid, $33 billion in grants to buy military equipment and $5 billion for missile defense systems.
Israeli defense exports rose 13 percent last year, with major contracts signed for Israeli defense technology including its advanced multi-layered aerial defense systems.
