Firefighting crews charged toll during wildfire response in Turkey

Firefighting crews battling wildfires in Turkey's Fethiye and Seydikemer districts faced an unexpected obstacle: a toll booth. Orman Genel Müdürlüğü (OGM) teams, dispatched to combat the blazes that began on July 27, were reportedly asked to pay a fee to use the Göcek Tunnel, a state-built but privatized infrastructure.

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Demanding a toll from our firefighting vehicles during the fire is inhuman and treasonous.

According to reports, vehicles that could not pay the toll were denied passage. This forced the firefighting units to take a significantly longer, older mountain route to reach the fire zones. The delay occurred at a critical time when every second counts in controlling the spread of the fires.

Yusuf Kurt, the general president of the Tarım Orman-İş Union, condemned the incident, stating that demanding payment from firefighting vehicles is "immoral" and "treasonous." He highlighted the dire situation, with firefighters risking their lives and working tirelessly to extinguish the flames.

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The mentality that sees this state vehicle as a commercial vehicle directly contributed to the burning of our forests.

"When our forests are turning to ash, the mentality that sees this state vehicle as a commercial vehicle directly contributed to the burning of our forests," Kurt stated. He criticized the "rentier elites" who operate toll roads, bridges, and tunnels, accusing them of prioritizing profit over national emergencies. The union vowed to hold the companies accountable for this "immoral behavior," emphasizing that their actions constitute a betrayal of the nation when it is in crisis.

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The profit-seeking of companies at a time when the nation is fighting for its life is the greatest betrayal of this country.