Türkiye is introducing stricter wildfire prevention measures across several provinces after experiencing one of its most destructive fire seasons in recent years.
Authorities have moved to restrict access to forests and increase surveillance as temperatures rise and memories of last year's devastating blazes remain fresh.
The measures come after 2025 became one of the worst years on record for forest fires in Türkiye, with around 80,000 hectares of land burned in 2025, making it the country's second-highest burned area in recent history.
More than 6,800 forest and rural fires were recorded nationwide, with provinces in western and northwestern Türkiye, including Izmir, Manisa, Çanakkale, Bursa and Bilecik, among the hardest hit.
Last summer's fires forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, damaged forests, agricultural land and settlements, and claimed the lives of emergency responders.
