Tag: Turkey

Turkey Evacuates Panicked Tourists by Boat From Wildfires

ISTANBUL—Panicked tourists in Turkey hurried to the seashore to wait for rescue boats Saturday after being told to evacuate some hotels in the Aegean resort of Bodrum due to the dangers posed by nearby wildfires, Turkish media reported. Coast guard units were leading the operation and authorities asked private boats and yachts to assist in…


Death Toll in Turkish Wildfires Rises to Four, Blazes Rage On

MANAVGAT, Turkey—The death toll from wildfires on Turkey’s southern coast has risen to four and firefighters were battling blazes for a third day on Friday after the evacuation of dozens of villages and some hotels. More than 60 wildfires have broken out across 17 provinces on Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts this week, officials have…


One Dead, 10 People Stranded in South Turkey Wildfire: Minister

ISTANBUL—One person has died and 10 people were trapped in a forest fire that was burning for a second day in southern Turkey on Thursday, Agriculture Minister Bekir Pakdemirli said, as rescue and extinguishing efforts continued. Hot weather and strong winds have helped the fire spread around the town of Manavgat, 75 kilometers (45 miles)…


Three Dead as Wildfire in South Turkey Rages On: Minister

ISTANBUL—Three people were found dead as a forest fire burned for a second day in southern Turkey on Thursday, the country’s AFAD disaster agency and the agriculture minister said. Efforts to rescue others and extinguish the blaze continued after more than 100 people were evacuated, required medical treatment or suffered property damage. Television footage showed…


Turkey Detains 200 Afghan Migrants En Route to Italy: Coastguard

ISTANBUL—Turkish authorities have intercepted a boat carrying more than 200 Afghan migrants in the Aegean sea heading for Europe, Turkey’s coastguard and the International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday. The interception near Turkey’s western shores came as hundreds of Afghans cross into eastern Turkey from Iran, after a rise in violence in their own…


Residents Flee as Winds Fan Massive Wildfire in Southern Turkey

ANKARA—A massive forest fire in southern Turkey spread to the town of Manavgat as the flames were fanned by strong winds on Wednesday, according to the local mayor, and TV footage showed residents running for their cars as streets were engulfed in smoke. Footage showed plumes of black smoke rising from the forest around Manavgat,…


Turkey Rescues 37 People From Sunken Migrant Boat: Ministry

ISTANBUL—Thirty-seven people have been rescued from a migrant boat with 45 people on board that sank south of Turkey, and Turkish naval ships and an aircraft are continuing search and rescue operations, the defence ministry said on Friday. The ministry said in a statement that it had received information on Thursday evening that the boat…


6 Dead, 2 Missing in Floods, Landslides in Northeast Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey—At least six people have been killed and two people are missing after heavy rains hit Turkey’s northeastern Black Sea coast, triggering floods and landslides, Turkey’s health minister said Thursday. The heavy downpour struck the tea-growing province of Rize late on Wednesday, sweeping away cars and causing a number of houses to collapse. Video…


Biden Names Jeff Flake as Ambassador to Turkey

President Joe Biden will nominate former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake as his ambassador to Turkey, choosing a Republican to lead one of the U.S.’ most important and delicate foreign relationships. Flake, who served as a Arizona senator from 2013 to 2019 and vocally supported Biden over former President Donald Trump, said he was “honored and humbled” in…


At Least 12 Killed as Bus Carrying Illegal Immigrants Crashes in Turkey

ISTANBUL—A minibus carrying illegal immigrants overturned and caught fire in eastern Turkey, killing 12 people and injuring 20 others, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported Sunday. The vehicle tumbled into a ditch while traveling overnight near Yumakli in Van province, which borders Iran. Television broadcasts showed groaning survivors being treated by the roadside as emergency…