Emergency services are battling severe forest fires in the Turkish coastal province of Izmir. Rescue teams worked through the night to bring the fires under control, but strong winds, high temperatures, and dry vegetation are hampering firefighters' efforts. Twenty-one people were treated in hospital and have since been discharged, said Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli.

According to authorities, the fires in Izmir are raging over an area of approximately twelve kilometers. The fires have particularly affected the Kuyucak neighborhood in Menderes and the Doğanbey neighborhood in Seferihisar, where houses have been burned to the ground. The cause of the fire is still unclear. Several villages and neighborhoods had to be evacuated.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, four planes and 14 helicopters are being used to fight the fire. Izmir's international airport was temporarily closed. Izmir is Turkey's third-largest city and is located on the west coast of the country, directly on the Aegean Sea.