Forests to be established in all 81 cities in nationwide campaign: Minister

ANKARA

New forests will be established in all 81 provinces in the country as part of a nationwide large-scale afforestation effort on the occasion of the National Afforestation Day on Nov. 11, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı has announced.

Within the scope of the "Breath to the Future, Breath to the Republic" campaign, which, consists of three stages, the "Republic Forests" to be established in all 81 provinces are dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the country's foundation, Yumaklı said during his speech at a meeting on the campaign in the capital Ankara on Oct. 31.

"Each tree we plant this year will be a testament to our commitment to the republic and its values. In this context, we will celebrate National Afforestation Day, which was declared in 2019, with a total of three activities," Yumaklı said.

"Firstly, on Nov. 11, we will establish Republic Forests in all 81 provinces. Secondly, to honor the 100th anniversary of our republic, we are gifting 100 trees to 100 public institutions and civil society organizations. These institutions will contribute to this mobilization by ensuring that these trees meet the soil on Nov. 11," he explained.

"Third and lastly, our citizens will plant 5 million saplings at 2,023 planting sites all over our country."

Noting that Türkiye is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of global warming due to its location in the Mediterranean climate zone, Yumaklı stated that the climate crisis affects not only the agricultural sector but also the forests and forestry industry significantly.

Yumaklı added that various threats, including forest fires, largely caused by human activities, as well as numerous diseases and pests, pose a significant danger to the forests.

Providing information on wildfires in 2023, Yumaklı noted that in the first 10 months of the year, 2,430 forest fires have occurred, affecting 14,250 hectares of forest land.

"There have been 17 fires affecting areas larger than 100 hectares, and five fires affecting areas larger than 500 hectares."

Yumaklı pointed out that in recent times, forest fires around the world have proven to be extremely challenging to extinguish, often lasting for days or even months despite intensive efforts, adding that his ministry will continue to do more than its utmost to minimize both the ecological and economic losses caused by forest fires.