By Nazlan Ertan
In Turkey, the word “yangın” (fire) has been a literal and metaphorical agent of change, leaving lasting marks on cities, culture, and society. Fires frequently serve as dramatic turning points in Turkish popular culture, from the 1960 film “Fire,” an Ottoman-era period piece in which the daughter of a pasha falls for a tulumbacı (Ottoman firefighter), to the modern TV series “Cranberry Sorbet,” which united estranged lovers after a tragic blaze.
Adopting the usual satirical tone for the Word of the Week is impossible as the nation mourns after the Grand Kartal Hotel fire at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu. The blaze, which began in the restaurant section and quickly engulfed the 12-story building, claimed at least 78 lives, including children on winter break, and injured 51 others.
Investigations revealed failures in the fire detection system and wooden cladding that accelerated the fire’s spread. Authorities have detained 12 individuals, including the hotel’s owner, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared a national day of mourning.
FIRES, FIRES EVERYWHERE
Historically, Turkey is no stranger to catastrophic fires. The Great Fire of Istanbul in 1660 destroyed two-thirds of the city, reducing 280,000 homes to ashes in just 49 hours. The blaze spurred major urban restructuring and policies that limited non-Muslim communities’ ability to rebuild their places of worship, reshaping Istanbul’s multicultural fabric.
Centuries later, the Great Fire of Izmir in 1922 devastated one of Anatolia’s most cosmopolitan cities, consuming its Armenian and Greek quarters as Greek forces retreated at the end of the Turkish War of Independence. The origins of the fire remain contested, but its destruction of cultural and historical heritage is undeniable.
The Sivas Madımak Hotel fire in 1993 revealed how human prejudice could ignite flames just as deadly as natural ones. A mob attacked the hotel during a cultural festival celebrating Alevi heritage, trapping and killing 37 people, including poets and scholars. The tragedy exposed Turkey’s deep sectarian divides and remains a somber reminder of the consequences of intolerance.
Another fire that drew nationwide outrage occurred in 2016 at a girls’ dormitory in Aladağ, Adana, run by the Sunni Suleymancılar sect. Eleven students perished due to sealed exits and inadequate oversight, highlighting the risks posed by Turkey’s 'mobile education system.' This system consolidates village schools into central town facilities, forcing families to rely on sect-run dormitories without state alternatives, leaving students vulnerable to safety lapses.
WILDFIRES AND RED PINES
Wildfires, though a different breed, are equally devastating. Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 19, 2024, Turkey experienced 2,529 forest fires, up from 1,419 during the same period in 2023. The area burned more than doubled, from 8,865 to 17,456 hectares.
Experts attribute the escalation to climate change, human error, and poor land management. The Eastern Mediterranean is one of the fastest-warming regions globally, with prolonged heat waves, low humidity, and dry vegetation creating ideal conditions for fire. Particularly dry southern and strong northern winds fan the flames before firefighting teams can respond.
Professor Şermin Tağıl of İzmir Bakırçay University says rising temperatures dry out surface vegetation, turning it into highly flammable material. “Combined with strong winds, these conditions make fires nearly impossible to control,” she says. Local plantations, such as kızılçam (Turkish red pine), while iconic, are highly combustible, adding to the challenge.
Though many fires start naturally, human activity frequently exacerbates their impact. Arson, illegal construction, and neglectful land management turn manageable blazes into disasters. Each incident raises uncomfortable questions: Was sufficient firefighting infrastructure in place? Did authorities enforce safety regulations? Too often, the answer is no.
