Gov’t will not allow construction in burned forests: Erdoğan

The government will not allow the construction of buildings in burned forest areas, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, vowing to focus on the planting of burned areas after current wildfires are defeated.

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They will never allow concrete building in these areas, Erdoğan said, recalling his remark on the objection of tall constructions while speaking in a live television interview on Aug. 4.

His government planted 5,400,000 trees in the past 19 years, and they will focus on replanting the burned forests as work is underway to implement a road map for these areas, he added.

"After we get rid of this scourge, we will take steps on it. We will do our work and then take the steps," Erdoğan stated, reminding that new plantations would need time after fires.

Elaborating on the allegation of arson, the president said they were concerned about it since the beginning of the fires and even found some traces, which caused the detention of some suspects.

"We identified that the families of some arrested were affiliated with the PKK," he added.

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Erdoğan addressed the municipalities for the responsibility of firefighting.

The whole world is currently facing this challenge, Erdoğan said and criticized the opposition parties' attitude for wildfires in Turkey while identifying it as "terror of opposition."

"We have a misfortune, unfortunately, Turkish politics is a politics without opposition. The terror of the opposition is blowing in Turkey. It is impossible to set this aside. So many places burn in America and Canada, nothing like this happens there," he said, noting that the opposition parties in these countries stand by the government in disaster periods.

Responding to suggestions that the...