More than half of the forest fires recorded across Türkiye last year were caused by negligence, with over 40,000 hectares of land damaged, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The ministry's latest figures show that Türkiye battled 3,224 forest fires in 2025. Of these, 1,753 fires were linked to negligence, making it the leading cause of forest fires nationwide.
Despite the rise in fire risks associated with climate change, Türkiye's forest resources continued to expand.
Forest inventory studies show the country's forest area increased from 20.2 million hectares in 1973 to 23.36 million hectares in 2023. The figure reached 23,363,084 hectares in 2024 before climbing further to 23,375,331 hectares last year.
Today, forests cover around 30% of Türkiye's total land area, according to the ministry, open-canopy forests account for 9.48 million hectares, representing 41% of the country's forests, while closed-canopy forests make up the remaining 59%, covering 13.89 million hectares.
