Residents count cost of Turkey's devastating wildfires

At least six people have died in blazes that swept through the country's southern and western regions

An injured woman sits in front of a burnt house after a massive bushfire engulfed a Mediterranean resort region on Turkey's southern coast, near the town of Manavgat.

An injured man inside what remains of a house after a bushfire engulfed a resort region on Turkey's southern coast, near the town of Manavgat.

A woman puts away belongings in front of a burnt house, near Manavgat.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli watch from the air as fires burn around Manavgat.

A walks through smoke from burnt out trees near the town of Manavgat.

A woman watches bushfires in Kacarlar village, near the coastal town of Manavgat, Antalya, Turkey.

A woman tries to stop an advancing bushfire in Kacarlar village in Antalya, Turkey.

A man gives water to a rooster during a massive bushfire that engulfed a Mediterranean resort region near Manavgat.

At least six people were reported dead on August 1 as firefighters battled blazes across Turkey's southern coast.

A colour infrared satellite image shows fire lines and crews battling a bushfire near Oymapinar, Turkey.

A forest burns as fires rage along Turkey's southern coast.

A firefighting aircraft drops water to extinguish a massive bushfire near Marmaris, Turkey.

The bushfire destroyed homes but left trees standing.

Tourists watch from the beach as the massive bushfire along Turkey's southern coast takes hold.

The fires destroyed homes and forced people to evacuate settlements and beach resorts.

A hill is left bare of tree cover after a fire passed through.

A man examines the destruction caused by bushfires near Manavgat.

A tree still burns from the inside after a blaze passed through the area.

Authorities evacuated homes as strong winds fanned numerous bushfire along Turkey's coast.

Officials also launched an investigation into suspicions that the fires that broke out to the east of Antalya were the result of arson.

A firefighter tackles a bushfire at Kirli in Turkey's Antalya province.

While bushfires are common in Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean regions during the arid summer months, some are linked to arson.

More than 4,000 Turkish firefighters were sent across the region to tackle the fires.

Tourists walk the beach as smoke shrouds the sun near Manavgat. Antalya mayor Muhittin Bocek said he suspected foul play as fires started in four places at once.

A cameraman films the blazing forest and scrubland near Manavgat, Turkey.

This photograph shows a forest burning as a massive wildfire engulfed a Mediterranean resort at the Marmaris district of Mugla, on August 1 2021. - At least three people were reported dead on July 29, 2021 and more than 100 injured as firefighters battled blazes engulfing a Mediterranean resort region on Turkey's southern coast. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

Days after a raging wildfire in southern Turkey drove his family from the home they had lived in for four decades, Mehmet Demir returned on Saturday to discover a burnt-out building, charred belongings and ashes.

Bedsprings, a ladder, metal chairs and some kitchenware were the only things left identifiable after some of the worst fires in years tore through the region, with several still burning four days after they erupted on Wednesday.

Mr Demir's home, near the Mediterranean coastal town of Manavgat, not far from tourist resort Antalya, was hit by one of almost 100 fires that erupted this week across southern and western Turkey, where sweltering heat and strong winds fanned the flames.

“The blaze spread through the highlands and raged suddenly,” Mr Demir said as he looked around the wreckage of his home, built in 1982. “We had to flee to the centre of Manavgat. Then we came back to find the house like this.”

“This was our [only] saving for the past 39-40 years. We are now left with the clothes we are wearing, me and my wife.

“There is nothing to do. This is when words fail.”

The death toll from the fires rose to six on Saturday, as two firefighters died during efforts to control the fire in Manavgat, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

Satellite imagery showed smoke from fires in Antalya and Mersin provinces was extending to the island of Cyprus, about 150 kilometres away.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the area Saturday, viewing the scene from a helicopter.

Wildfires are common in southern Turkey in the hot summer months but local authorities say the latest fires have covered a much bigger area.

With deadly heatwaves, flooding and wildfires occurring around the world, calls are growing for urgent action to cut the CO2 emissions heating the planet.

Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said a total of 98 fires had broken out in the past four days, of which 88 were under control.

Fires continued in the southern coastal provinces of Adana, Osmaniye, Antalya, Mersin and the western coastal province of Mugla, a popular resort region for Turks and foreign tourists, where some hotels have been evacuated this week.

Weather forecasts point to heatwaves along the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal regions, with temperatures expected to rise by between 4ºC and 8ºC over their seasonal average, Turkish meteorological authorities say.

They are forecast to reach between 43ºC and 47ºC in the coming days in Antalya.

“The weather is extremely hot and dry. This contributes to start of fires. Our smallest mistake leads to a great disaster,” Turkish climate scientist Levent Kurnaz said on Twitter.