A
forest fire erupted on July 8 on Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula in the
western province of Çanakkale, where an important battle was won by
Ottoman forces during World War I against Allied fleets attempting to
break through the Dardanelles, fueling fears it might destroy hectares
of forests or damage the resting places of fallen soldiers.
The
fire was spotted shortly after midday on July 8, near the Kabatepe ferry
port in Çanakkale’s Eceabat district, instantly reminding locals of a
tragic fire in July 1994, when more than 4,000 hectares of greenery
burnt down in the same area.
The first intervention was made by
the Regional Forestry Directorate in Çanakkale, before three helicopters
and 10 water trucks were dispatched to the area.
“The Kabatepe
camping area has been evacuated. Cooling efforts are ongoing in the
area,” Mehmet Gürkan, head of the historic area covering the former
battlefields, was reported as saying by Doğan News Agency.
“There
are no living spaces where the fire broke out; it’s a camping area.
There are no soldier’s graves there either. It is only picnic space,”
Gürkan said, adding surrounding districts were also providing
assistance.
The area is special not only for its nature but also
due to its historic significance, as the Allies in World War I
attempted a naval breakthrough in March 1915 through the Dardanelles
with the aim of capturing the Ottoman capital in Istanbul (then widely
known as Constantinople) and securing a much-needed sea route to Russia.
After a number of British and French ships were either sunk or damaged, however, the Allies were forced to abandon the campaign.