Turkey's govt tells skeptics burned areas will be reforested

Environmental groups and opposition lawmakers in Turkey are worried that fire-damaged forests could lose their protected status

MARMARIS, Turkey -- Environmental groups and opposition lawmakers in Turkey are voicing fears that fire-damaged forests could lose their protected status, a claim the government strongly rejected as wildfires burned for an eighth day in the country's Mediterranean region. Environmental groups have pleaded on social media for Turkey to get assistance in containing the fires that have consumed some of the forests they protect. But critics are also warning of another threat to forests after Turkey's parliament passed a law in mid-July that allows the president to change the status of forests into tourism developments for the “public good.” Turkish officials, leading with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have firmly rejected the speculation and said the burned forests were absolutely protected by the constitution and would be reforested. While the exact acreage burned in the past week remains unclear, officials have promised the affected areas would not be transformed for other purposes and villagers would be able to return to their land. The government’s assurance, however, has not eased worries. Critics pointed to before and after pictures of a forest area burned more than a decade ago that was turned into a massive hotel resort. They have blamed a string of recent environmental disasters in Turkey, including a slimy sea snot outbreak in the Marmara Sea, deadly floods and severe drought on megaprojects, industrial sites and rampant construction propelling climate change.