Istanbul: Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumqli declared a state of emergency in 5 provinces in the south and southwest of the country until the middle of next month after the expansion of forest fires in them. Yumqli said in a press statement today, Saturday: "There are 5 active fires, and the fires have been controlled in Odemish region of Izmir and Didim district of Aydin in the west of the country, while the fires continue in Manisa, Bolu, Izmir, Aydin, Karabuk and Mugla" in the south of the country. He pointed out that "firefighting teams are facing difficulty in extinguishing fires and rapid intervention in Goynuk region of Bolu province in the northwest of the country, and the situation may continue like this for a while despite the use of helicopters specialized in extinguishing fires." The Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry announced that "firefighting teams were able to control 69 out of 72 fires across the country, but strong winds yesterday, Friday, led to the fi res igniting again in the forests, especially in mountainous areas that are difficult to reach. For its part, the Turkish Presidency announced the implementation of 2,134 air sorties and the dropping of 7,662 tons of water as part of the efforts to combat forest fires in 5 states in the north and west of the country. The Presidency's Communications Department said in a statement today that efforts to combat forest fires have been ongoing for two days in the states of Bolu (north of the country), Aydin, Izmir, Manisa and Mugla (west of the country). The Turkish Ministry of Health announced at dawn today that 78 people were injured as a result of a fire in the forests of Izmir state in the west of the country. The Turkish Disaster Management Authority announced the evacuation of 3,971 citizens on the outskirts of Izmir state in the southwest of the country to safe places. Source: National Iraqi News Agency