Sparks from agricultural machinery, a lit candle on a grave and careless handling of fire are among the main causes of the devastating fires in Turkey since the beginning of July 2025. Thousands of acres of forest and animals have been destroyed, and many people have been forced to flee their homes, BTA reports.
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, 23 people are suspected of starting the fires, with four in custody and the rest released under judicial control. The data was published on the minister's Facebook profile.
In the period 4-22 July, 61 forest fires were registered in the country.
Harvesting - the main source of fires
Many of the incidents were caused by a spark from a combine harvester during harvesting.
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On 7 July and again on 11 July, fires broke out in Balıkesir (Western Turkey), for which a total of five people are suspected - one of them remains in custody.
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Similar incidents were also registered in the regions of Uşak and Kütahya, where two people are under judicial control.
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In Bilecik, another heavily affected region, two men were detained for the fire on 20 July - one remains in custody.
Other cases of negligence
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Fires in Balıkesir and Bolu were caused by baling machines. The suspects were released on bail.
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In Tunceli, on July 13, a candle on a grave lit by a man ignited dry grass and caused a fire - he is under judicial control.
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In Eskişehir, two woodcutters were responsible for a fire on July 4, but were released under supervision.
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In Hatay, a man was detained for a fire on July 5, after being spotted in the area just before it broke out.
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In Tekirdag (July 11) and Kırklareli (July 12) there is also a suspect. In the second case, the flames started from a car engine that had caught fire.
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In Konya, a fire on July 14, which was extinguished for two days, was caused by a fire lit to make tea. The man is also under judicial control.
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In Manisa, two fires broke out on July 15 - one due to a spark from a lawnmower, the other due to welding. The latter perpetrator has been detained.