Probe underway, teams search for trace of arson in fires in Turkey’s south

ANKARA

,Prosecutors are investigating the causes of wildfires that have been raging through Turkey’s south, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül said early July 30.

“They are looking into every aspect of the incidents and every possibility and all authorities are taking the necessary measures,” he said on his Twitter account.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said there are ongoing investigations and that the allegations surrounding the possibility of arsons were not “ignorable.”

While Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters that the public has some suspicions as to who started the fires, Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun said comprehensive investigations have been launched. “Those responsible for the crime against the nature and forests will be held accountable as soon as possible,” Altun said.

Meanwhile, special teams have been set up by the police and gendarmerie forces to investigate the wildfires. The special teams are looking for clues which may hint the fires were an act of terror or were deliberate.

The special teams from the police and gendermarie forces have already begun their work. Their efforts are also supported by intelligence units.