Agriculture Minister Dursun Oğuz said on Wednesday that cooling-off efforts of the areas destroyed in last week’s wildfire which started in Merslinlik are continuing.

He said heavy machinery was still clearing fire safety roads and paths, while teams were controlling areas for any possible flare-ups.

Evaluating the recovery work to BRT, Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Dursun Oğuz said that cooling-off efforts were still underway with forestry department teams keeping a careful watch-out for any flare ups which might rekindle the fire.

“Our priority is to ensure that the fire is completely extinguished and that there is not even the slightest chance of a rekindle. The smallest mistake or negligence can have disastrous consequences which is why we are taking our time before leaving the area,” he said.

Oğuz also said that what course of action will be taken to rehabilitate the area will only be decided following consultations with experts and the preparation of a comprehensive report.

The minister complained that there were too many careless and ignorant people within society.

“A fire caused by a heavy vehicle operating in a private property has led us to this disaster. It is extremely disappointing to see that people continued to act carelessly even when the fire was still going on. We had fires breaking out in other areas because people were flinging their cigarette butts from their vehicles,” he said.

The natural resources minister also thanked Türkiye for its support in helping put out the fire.

“It’s important that we derive lessons from our mistakes. We will make sure we do our homework correctly,” he said.