US EditionTurkiye Fires Close Busy Shipping Route
NORTH-WESTERN TURKEY, NEAR CANAKKALE, AUG 08 – The closure of the Dardanelles Strait affects a vital commercial shipping route amid ongoing wildfires and evacuations near Canakkale, officials said.
- Halting shipping on Aug. 8, 2025, Türkiye's Transport and Infrastructure Ministry temporarily closed the Dardanelles Strait amid wildfires near Canakkale.
- The fire began at an agricultural field near Sarıcaeli village and, fueled by hot, dry and windy conditions for weeks, spread into forested areas.
- Firefighting aircraft including eight planes and four helicopters, dozens of fire trucks and heavy machinery are combating the wildfires, prompting evacuations of a public hospital and a retirement home.
- Authorities evacuated three villages and a care home, and Canakkale Airport was closed to all flights until 8 p.m., except for state and emergency aircraft.
- The closure underscores how wildfires can disrupt a key maritime route connecting Europe and Asia, with nearly 46,000 vessels in 2024 highlighting its trade importance.
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Forest fires in Turkey have forced authorities to suspend shipping through the busy Dardanelles Strait and evacuate hundreds of people while firefighters battle the flames, officials said Friday evening.
Traffic through the Dardanelles Strait, an international maritime route connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, has been temporarily suspended due to forest fires raging in northwestern Turkey, the country's Transport Ministry said.
Forest fires, which are present in the northwestern part of Turkey, have forced local authorities to temporarily close maritime traffic on an extremely important trade route: the Dardanese Strämtore, announced by the Turkish Ministry of Transport, quoted by BBC.
Turkey fires close busy Dardanelles Strait shipping route
Wildfires in Turkey forced authorities to suspend shipping in the busy Dardanelles Strait and evacuate villages on Friday as firefighters battled the blazes, officials said. Turkey "temporarily" shut the busy strait in both directions, the transport ministry said, after the fires broke out in the northwestern province of Canakkale and spread, fanned by heavy winds. Authorities evacuated three villages and a care home that housed 52 elderly peopl…
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