ANKARA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has been hit by a total of 147 forest fires within the past few days, Turkish Forestry and Water Affairs Minister Veysel Eroglu said on Tuesday.
Speaking at an official opening ceremony in the capital Ankara, Eroglu said that the mass eruption of forest fires was caused by small fire that has spread to the closest forest with wind.
Antalya Governor Munir Karaloglu said that the fires, affecting at least 1,000 hectares of forest in the Mediterranean province, had been brought under control by Monday.
In some areas, including the Aegean province of Denizli, firefighters are continuing to put out the fire on Tuesday, according to local private broadcaster NTV.
Due to a heatwave from North Africa engulfing Turkey since last week, forest fires have broken out in the country's western and southern coast in the past four days, destroying hundreds of thousands of forests.
