Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast is reeling from fresh wildfires that erupted on July 25, 2025, leading the government to declare Izmir and Bilecik provinces as “disaster areas affecting public life.” The blazes, fueled by extreme heat, strong winds, and dry conditions, have ravaged Antalya, Manavgat, Adana, and Mersin, with flames threatening high-rise apartment blocks in Antalya’s city center and Aksu district, forcing evacuations and closing a major coastal road, according to DHA news agency.

In Antalya, TV footage captured thick smoke and flames near tourist-heavy areas, with local residents using hoses and buckets to aid firefighters. Water-dropping helicopters, planes, police water cannons, and municipal trucks were deployed to combat the fires. Manavgat, a key coastal city, also faced imminent threats to homes. Eastward, new fires sparked in Adana and Mersin, while blazes in Eskisehir and Karabuk persisted, claiming 13 lives, including 10 firefighters in Eskisehir on July 24.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that 311 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged since late June, with 85 temporary housing units established for displaced residents across three provinces. Over 12,000 workers, including police and rescue teams, have been mobilized, with 120 neighborhoods evacuated nationwide between June 27 and July 24.

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The fires, worsened by climate-driven heatwaves and drought, follow Türkiye’s worst-ever wildfire season in 2021, which burned 1,700 square kilometers in the Mediterranean region. Experts attribute the 2025 fires, which scorched 16,441 hectares by October, to human activities like electrical faults and climate change. The tourism industry, already strained, faces further setbacks in Antalya and other resort areas.

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