Forests under occupation are doomed to burn!

Gökay Başcan

The country has turned into a ball of fire. Although some of the successive fires have been brought under control after great struggle, the flames continue to rise in many areas. Despite the data from the General Directorate of Forests and warnings from experts indicating that this destruction, which has been increasing exponentially every year, will repeat itself, the government's failure to take precautions has paved the way for new disasters.

In many areas of İzmir, which has been most affected by the fires this year, the flames are still not under control. The forest fire that broke out in the Ödemiş district of İzmir affected the hills of Köseler Mahallesi, while firefighting efforts continued both on the ground and from the air. Meanwhile, the number of neighbourhoods evacuated due to the fire has reached seven. It has been reported that numerous homes, vineyards, and gardens in the region have been damaged.

Engin Bek, a resident of the region, stated, "The situation is very dire at the moment; our lungs are burning. Our mountains and gardens have been destroyed. The villages of Köseler and Karadoğan have been evacuated. The flames have reached our homes. Everyone did what they could, but the resources were insufficient. The fire has been going on for two days. Today, the flames, which had decreased, increased again." The situation is no different in Buca. The fire that broke out in the forest the previous day spread to the Sarnıç region of Gaziemir and the Menderes Kısık neighbourhood.

ÇEŞME UNDER CONTROL

Due to the flames approaching residential areas, Yıldızlar Mahallesi and some hobby gardens in the area were evacuated as a precaution. After dark, the intervention continued on land, and the sky in the area was covered with smoke due to the fire that continued throughout the night. Meanwhile, as part of the investigation launched, two suspects were detained yesterday on the grounds that they caused the fire while working with a spiral machine in the area. Yesterday, fires also broke out in succession in Malis in Muğla, Dörtyol in Hatay, Kocaeli and Gebze districts. Teams intervened in the fires from the air and on the ground.

The forest fire that broke out in Çeşme and spread to a large area in a short time was brought under control on its third day after 44.5 hours of intervention.

Meanwhile, fires that broke out one after another in Bursa, Balıkesir and Eskişehir yesterday were also brought under control.

WALLETS AND FORESTS

The complete surrender of production and distribution to capital has enriched companies while forcing millions to pay high bills. However, the data revealed that the fires in İzmir showed that this market-oriented approach has not only taken the money of millions but also their oxygen-rich forests, the living creatures within them, and, in short, their entire way of life.

İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban stated that the fires were caused by power lines, but GDZ Elektrik denied the claim, saying, ‘There is no concrete evidence.’ Although Gediz Elektrik, which has been enriched by the palace regime, denies the allegations, official statistics show that approximately 20-25% of the forest areas that have burned in the last 12 years were caused by power lines. The energy market, which has failed to carry out necessary maintenance and repairs and has forced citizens to pay high bills, has become the greatest enemy of forests today.

COMPANIES SPARKING FIRES

Between 2008 and 2013, energy production and distribution were privatised. The share of Electricity Production Inc. (EÜAŞ), which alone accounted for 60% of electricity production in 2002, gradually declined over the years. The private sector's share in electricity production, which was 32% in 2002, jumped to 83%. EÜAŞ's share in production plummeted to 15.4%. It was included in the privatisation programme on 2 April 2004. With the transfer of Toroslar Electricity Distribution Inc. to the private sector on 30 September 2013, the entire distribution sector was privatised.

THE PEOPLE WERE LEFT ALONE

While the fight against forest fires raging across Turkey continues, the inadequacy of teams in many regions is striking. In particular, the decline in personnel numbers, coupled with the decrease in the number of forest peasants and their ageing, has led to serious weaknesses in the fight against fires. Under these conditions, many citizens have been forced to fight the flames on their own to protect their lives and property. In many rural and forested areas where fires have broken out, citizens have struggled to protect their homes and fields in desperation, as firefighting teams have either been slow to arrive or unable to reach these areas at all. Citizens intervened in the fires with jerry cans, buckets and irrigation hoses, risking their lives to try to block the flames. During these interventions, some people were injured in certain areas, while many others were affected by smoke inhalation.

Residents in the region stated that they were awaiting support from government officials and relevant institutions, noting that similar fires had occurred for years, but each time they were caught unprepared. Many peasants reacted to the situation, saying, ‘When the fire comes, we are the first to respond, but we don't have enough water or equipment. We experience the same nightmare every year.’

THE REAL CULPRIT IS THIS GOVERNMENT

Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Atmış, Forestry Policy Expert

We have been warning about power transmission lines for years. It's not just power transmission lines, but also forest allocations, i.e. mining, tourism and more than 80 other allocations. Forests are being handed over to capital piece by piece. Power transmission lines are one of them. The total area of these concessions has now reached 840,000 hectares as of 2024. This means that approximately 4% of our forests are being used for such purposes. And we have been saying for years that all these concessions have increased the risk of fires. That’s why we say the forests are under occupation. If the forests are under occupation, the risk of fires naturally increases. On the other hand, the areas removed from the forest with 2B have been opened for settlement. In other words, they were given to companies. Companies built houses and sites there. Now we will see urban fires. Houses will burn; people will burn.

It's such a thing that electricity transmission lines don't have to pass through forests, but it's the cheapest method. Because in other areas, they would have to pay higher rents, and they would have to go through private land. If there is no other alternative, they can go through the forest, but unfortunately, it is the first choice. In 2021, 38,000 hectares of the 140,000 hectares of forest that burned were due to electricity transmission lines.

THE CAUSE OF HALF IS UNKNOWN

There is an even more alarming situation. We do not even know the cause of half of the forest fires in our country. As a prediction, we can say that half of the fires with unknown causes were also caused by electricity transmission lines. But I will state the data: One-fourth of the forest areas that burned were due to these electricity transmission lines. The company responsible for electricity distribution whether private or state-owned is accountable. However, the Forestry Organisation bears greater responsibility here. They are responsible because they continuously grant such usage permits without taking any precautions or conducting any oversight.

Now, when an ordinary citizen is found to have started a forest fire, they are imprisoned and punished. Will those who grant these permits and fail to oversee them not be punished? This is the result of mismanagement by those who claim to govern the country, and our forests are burning.

Forestry policies have failed, and there is no solution. Foresters are helpless, and the people are helpless. Everyone is waiting for help from somewhere. But the institution that should provide that help, the institution that operates with the people's taxes, is nowhere to be found.

THE ONLY SOLUTION IS NATIONALISATION

Gülhan Gürler, President of EMO İzmir Branch

The fire in Çeşme is a confession. Although there is no definitive evidence that it was caused by electricity, we would not be surprised if we heard that it was entirely caused by electricity. This is because we have a serious problem in this area. After privatisation, the necessary maintenance began to be seen by companies as a cost item. However, these lines, especially those passing through forested areas, must be regularly inspected before the start of summer and throughout the summer. Are there any loose connections? Are the joints properly made? Are the insulators secure? Have the improper fuses been replaced? Is the grounding compliant with regulations? All of these must be inspected. But as I said, companies view these as costs and are cutting back on these expenses.

Additionally, before summer, a cleaning corridor should be established along the routes of power lines in collaboration with the Forestry Ministry, Regional Forestry Directorates, or Provincial Forestry Directorates. Dry grass and brush on the ground should be cleared, and trees touching the lines should be pruned. These contacts must be prevented.

Moreover, technology has advanced significantly. Instead of taking measures after a fire breaks out, technologies such as sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence should be used to prevent fires before they occur. It is possible to detect fires before they spread using these systems 24/7. However, all of these are also cost items, and unfortunately, after privatisation, cost-cutting measures were implemented in these areas as well. There is also a shortage of personnel. Engineers who are newly graduated and working for low wages are being hired, or employees are frequently changing. As a result, knowledge and experience cannot be accumulated. Ultimately, we are experiencing such negative outcomes. The institution we call TEİAŞ manages transmission lines, i.e., the lines carried by those massive poles. These lines are still in public hands. However, the issues we are currently discussing are related to the distribution sector. In other words, the part of the process that involves delivering electricity to the end user has been transferred to the private sector. Unfortunately, most of the problems are occurring in this area.

We drew attention to this danger in our statement on 16 May. Our solution proposal is very clear: urgent nationalisation. In other words, the transfer of distribution services back to the public sector. If this happens, all processes such as maintenance, personnel and supervision can be carried out in the public interest. We believe that at least these problems will be largely eliminated.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İşgal altındaki ormanlar yanmaya mahkûm!, published in BirGün newspaper on July 5, 2025.