İYİ Party leader urges unity amid wildfires across Turkey
MUĞLA
İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener on Aug. 1 stressed the need for unity and solidarity during wildfires raging across Turkey.
“Members of the ruling and opposition parties, we have to join their capabilities and our parties’ municipalities,” she said speaking during a visit to the burned area in Marmaris district of the Aegean province of Muğla.
Akşener also urged the government to reveal rumors about possible arsons in raging wildfires across Turkey.
“There are many rumors about forest fires. It should be determined as soon as possible whether there is arson or not. This is very important for Turkey’s unity and integrity,” Akşener said.
If a conclusion was reached regarding the arson, a law should be passed immediately, she added.
“By law, those who burn forests and arson should be considered terrorist criminals,” she said and added that another point is that there must be a decision regarding their definitive demolition if new construction is made in these areas.
Akşener said there is a coordination problem in the fight against wildfires in southern Turkey and noted that the problem arises because the procedure in fire extinction is different if the municipality is from an opposition party.
“The main, common problem in fires is a lack of coordination. The governor’s office has a separate coordination system with the district governor’s office in the districts. On the other hand, if the mayors of affected areas are the mayors of the Nation Alliance, there is a different coordination model related to them,” she stated.
