Defence and Security Planning Model Approach to Fighting Forest Fires

Our main areas of academic and professional interest are international relations and security. However, in recent years, the high number of lives lost, property damage and economic losses caused by forest fires in our country, as well as the increasing number and area of fires each year and the impact of climate change on fires, have highlighted the need for such a study.

In this study, we have attempted to develop a model for combating forest fires and taking necessary measures by adopting a ‘Defence and Security-Oriented’ approach. While some examples from around the world are cited to explain the subject, the focus is primarily on issues that can be addressed within the context of our country's dynamics.

Defence Planning Systematics:

Defence planning systematics is generally a system developed to realise the capabilities that armed forces around the world wish to achieve. It is generally referred to as Defence Planning Programming and Budgeting (DPPB). (1) In essence, this system encompasses the continuous planning and budgeting of the armed forces' needs through a project and strategic management approach. In some countries, the ‘Execution’ phase is also added to this process. However, the underlying logic remains largely the same.

The starting point of this system is a political and strategic document that specifies the operational environments in which the armed forces or relevant security agencies will encounter threats. This document also represents the decision of the political will. In Turkey, the ‘National Policy Document’ serves as an example of this, while in NATO, the ‘Strategic Concepts,’ which are generally prepared every 10 years in line with global developments, can be considered within this scope. Based on this strategic document, the relevant institutions or affiliated institutions of the publishing institution develop a plan covering the coming years and publish their own strategic documents. For the Turkish Armed Forces, this document is the National Military Strategy (TÜMAS). Subsequently, institutions publish their projects, including organisation, human resources, equipment and systems, according to the specified time frames, with 20-year, 10-year and three-year reviews and annual procurement plans. While projects outlined over long periods may be generally specified, as the procurement timeline approaches, project documents are finalised and incorporated into procurement plans. For the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), examples include plans indicating primary needs (Operational Requirements Plan), the Strategic Target Plan (SHP) prepared over a 20-year period without considering resource constraints, and the Ten-Year Procurement Plan (OYTEP) (2).

In the final year of the OYTEP, the sources of funding for budgeted projects are specified in the national budget, approved by the political authority (Turkish Grand National Assembly), and the projects are implemented by the procurement authorities. For large-scale projects spanning multiple years, approval from the political authority is sought annually. However, it is particularly important in 20-year and 10-year planning that operational requirements are identified, projects are developed, resources are allocated, and procurement is subsequently carried out. The system also includes additional procedures for addressing urgent operational requirements. The control and management of the aforementioned plans and projects are carried out by the Ministry of National Defence (MSB), the General Staff, and the Force Commands, with a large number of experienced personnel, generally in strategic departments and directorates.

In NATO, this system is implemented as the NDPP (NATO Defence Planning Process). Here, too, priorities and objectives are determined in accordance with political directives, shared, implemented, and then reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. NATO covers short (0-6 years), medium (7-19 years), and long (20+ years) time frames in its planning. Although these activities are carried out in almost every command at the appropriate level in coordination with the relevant countries, the Allied Command Transformation (ACT) in Norfolk, USA, is responsible for managing strategic change issues (3). In other words, the management of strategic plans, programmes and projects requires experienced and competent personnel.

In our country, these needs, which are turned into projects by the components of the Turkish Armed Forces, are procured by the Defence Industry Presidency (SSB) through domestic or foreign means and delivered to the relevant authorities. This defence planning system has made a significant contribution to the Turkish Armed Forces reaching its current stage and ranking among the leading armies in the world. What is the organisation, responsibilities and strategic situation in the fight against forest fires? This issue will be examined in the following articles and some findings will be presented.

Current Situation in the Fight Against Forest Fires:

It is seen that there is no office or unit directly responsible for forest fires in the presidential administration system. Perhaps the units closest to forest issues are the Agricultural and Food Policy Council and the Local Administration and Disaster Policy Council (4). However, no directive or document related to the fight against forest fires has been found at the presidential level.

In the current situation, it appears that the general responsibility for combating forest fires has been assigned to the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM). This is because there is no organisation related to forests within the central organisation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In addition, Law No. 6831 on Forests has assigned almost all tasks to the OGM (5). In other words, although the ministry's name is Agriculture and Forestry, it actually focuses mostly on agriculture-related issues, while forestry-related issues are left to the affiliated Forestry General Directorate (OGM) (6). (See https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Birimler.aspx)

In 2024, a total of 3,797 fires occurred across Turkey, resulting in 27,484.59 hectares (the unit is specified as hectares or square kilometres). These figures do not include fires that occurred within the jurisdiction of the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMPGM). Like the OGM, the DKMPGM is also part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's affiliated units and organisations. However, the DKMPGM also manages a significant forest area. It is evident that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's organisational structure lacks a comprehensive and effective organisational structure and responsibility for forest fires.

At OGM, this responsibility is carried out by the Forest Fire Fighting Directorate at the central office, along with all central and regional units. We express our gratitude to OGM personnel for their efforts during the recent fires and previous incidents, and we remember those who lost their lives with respect and gratitude. In addition, the investigation revealed that many of the issues listed below exist in the OGM fire prevention and extinguishing system. However, the aim here is to provide a role model for the system in terms of security systematics. Naturally, the existing systems will continue to be operated.

Forest Fire Fighting Strategy and Concept

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 2024-2028 strategic plan, updated for 2025, can be accessed via the link https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/SGB/Belgeler/stratejikplan.pdf (7). Upon reviewing the 107-page strategic plan, no page is dedicated to forest fires. In fact, not a single word related to ‘fire’ or ‘forest fire’ is mentioned in the plan. This indicates that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry does not have any plans, projects, or programmes to combat forest fires in its strategic vision for the 2024-2028 period.

There is no strategic concept or document on the website of the Directorate General for Strategy Development of the General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) (8). The duties of the Directorate are explained in two articles, referring to Law No. 5018 (Public Financial Management) and Law No. 5436 dated 2005. As is known, Law No. 5018 on Public Financial Management pertains to financial matters, while Law No. 5436 concerns amendments made to certain laws and decrees, primarily Law No. 5018. In short, this law also pertains to financial matters (9). There are no documents related to the strategy shared with the public on the page.

Upon reviewing the website of the Directorate General for Forest Fires, it was found that there is no strategic concept or document shared with the public regarding the fight against forest fires. The duties of the Directorate are explained in five articles. However, there is no plan or programme covering multiple years (10).

Threat Perception in Forest Fires:

Threat perception can generally be defined as factors that threaten the survival or existence of any institution, organisation, or unit. Although the causes threatening forests are not explicitly stated, the ‘Forestry Statistics 2024’ report included in the OGM Official Statistics Programme provides detailed information in Turkish and English on almost all forestry activities in Turkey. Here, the causes of fires are generally listed under five headings.

These are negligence, intentional and accidental causes, unknown causes, and natural causes. Under negligence, there are stubble, rubbish, hunting/shepherd fires, cigarettes, picnics and others; under intentional causes, there are terrorism, arson, land clearing and others; and under accidental causes, there are energy networks, traffic and other issues.

Table-1: Areas of burned areas according to causes in 2024

Table-2: Number of fires according to causes in 2024

In fact, the issues listed here as causes should be perceived as threats that trigger forest fires. In the aforementioned statistical reports, when the causes of ‘other,’ ‘unknown,’ and ‘natural’ (such as lightning strikes) are examined in detail, they can be understood as threat perceptions leading to forest destruction by fire in Turkey. Moving forward, it is essential to develop plans and programmes that identify the needs and priorities for each threat and transform them into projects.

Precautions, Measures and Projects that can be Taken:

Review of the Organizational Structure:

It is understood that the central organization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is more focused on agriculture. However, as the name of the ministry suggests, it should be primarily responsible for forests and forest fires. Therefore, the separation of the ministries of agriculture and forestry comes to mind. This situation already seems to exist in practice. This is because, especially in the case of large fires, it is the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry who appears before the press and the public. This alone indicates who is responsible. If this division does not take place, a ‘Forestry or Forest’ unit should be established within the central organisation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry so that the Ministry can play a more effective role in forest fires.

In parallel with the Ministry, it is understood that the organisational and personnel structure of the OGM Strategy and Forest Fire Fighting Directorates should also be strengthened. This is because it does not seem possible to effectively carry out tasks such as producing effective projects, following up on projects and procurement with the current structure.

Development of Strategic Concepts, Doctrines and Plans

It is important to prepare a strategic concept for ‘Combating Forest Fires’ starting from the Ministry and even the Presidency, to identify threats and develop plans, programmes and projects to address them, and to follow up on them on an annual basis.

This is because in any struggle, if the area of struggle (forest areas according to their characteristics), threat perceptions and threat areas, the tools and systems available to combat these threats, needs, the project design and procurement of these needs are not systematically identified, the success rate in combating the threat in question will remain low.

Establishment of an Effective Monitoring (Prevention), Reporting, Intervention and Management (Extinguishing) System

The main focus in responding to forest fires should be on a proactive approach to prevent the events that cause fires before they start, and if they do occur, to report them to the relevant authorities as soon as possible and then intervene effectively to manage and extinguish them.

Radar and detection systems established on highways to prevent accidents have recently been in the spotlight. It should not be too difficult to further develop the systems currently in use for our forests. A similar integrated border surveillance system should be established as a ‘Forest Integrated Surveillance System’ in certain areas along our borders. The system's components should be deployed along roads surrounding forests, in picnic areas, and in high-risk zones such as livestock farming and beekeeping areas, with a focus on these regions. These areas should be monitored with fixed but motion-sensitive cameras, and the forest area should be divided into sectors based on risk levels. These sectors should then be monitored 24/7 using drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. This is because, in forest fires, the key is to neutralise the threat before it becomes active, which will prevent the waste of effort and resources.

Of course, the question then arises of how to monitor such a large number of camera images. In fact, since the cameras are motion-sensitive, they can be easily monitored by the relevant operations centres. In addition, if the images obtained from this surveillance system are transferred to the internet on a regional basis, such as by province or district, it is anticipated that threats that may arise can be communicated to the relevant units by a much wider audience monitoring the system, thereby preventing many fires before they occur.

Furthermore, forest volunteers, schools, and non-governmental organisations established within the OGM can also be utilised for surveillance. In fact, citizens may even be able to assist the authorities by doing this themselves. In such cases, rewards could be given to those who report incidents to increase motivation. A similar method is being implemented by some NGOs in the United States along the Mexican border (12). However, in this case, the sharing is done by a public institution and is real-time, making it even more reliable and deterrent. Within this scope, surveillance systems and fixed cameras can be used on highways passing through forests to prevent smoking.

Another important issue is to notify intervention teams as soon as a fire breaks out. To eliminate confusion and ensure simplicity, this should be done in the same way as for border violations, by notifying the teams that will intervene with the fastest means of transport. In fact, OGM teams can have teams similar to the security units and air vehicles on standby, just like the Hazır Kıta (Ready Force). Then, the coordination of firefighting activities should be carried out from mobile and fixed operations centres. Actually, OGM has similar systems, but what is meant here is that this should be an automatic reaction and become part of the institutional culture. In fact, a similar system is already in use by the OGM. Perhaps measures can be taken to address any shortcomings in the system.

Training

Training should be approached from two angles. The first is public education. In fact, announcements and alerts are used, particularly during certain seasons, on media platforms to draw attention throughout the country to the causes of forest fires. Forest villagers receive special training. However, when looking at individuals arrested or detained in some fires, it is evident that some of them are university graduates. The individual who caused a fire during beekeeping activities in Manisa Akhisar is an example of this (13). Therefore, for education to be sustainable, citizens' awareness of forest fires must be increased from preschool onwards.

The second dimension of education is the training of OGM personnel. This covers all stages from strategic planning to fire response. There is a particular need for this in strategic planning and project management. Cooperation with universities is possible in the areas of education and project development. The OGM has an International Forestry Training Centre in Antalya with a capacity of 80 people for these activities.

Benefiting from the Defence Industry

Turkey has made significant progress in the defence industry. With the exception of engines, all components for air, land and sea platforms can be produced domestically. In addition to the technological level, the human resources are also important in this regard. The Turkish defence industry has achieved a prominent position in the world, particularly in the fields of drones, UAVs, surveillance systems and equipment. During the pandemic, Turkish defence industry companies supported the health sector by producing health system equipment. For this reason, the defence industry can support the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (OGM) in the fight against forest fires in the following ways.

Firstly, the supply of systems that are currently needed and whose supply is dependent on foreign countries. The OGM Defence Industry Presidency (at that time the Undersecretariat) supplied helicopters for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry along with the T-70 helicopters needed by the Turkish Armed Forces. These helicopters are being delivered to OGM in a specific order (14). Currently, OGM has agreed with SSB to develop a 10-ton water-dropping helicopter project using domestic resources (15). The second area of assistance and support concerns the production and procurement of systems and equipment to be developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for combating forest fires using domestic resources. Unfortunately, it can be stated that we are not at the desired level in this regard. It is anticipated that there is still a long way to go in this area.

To mobilise domestic capabilities, the SSB, in coordination with TSKGV and SAHA Istanbul, can organise international fairs on ‘Fighting Forest Fires’ to raise awareness and enhance the firefighting capabilities of relevant institutions. In fact, with the right planning, Turkey could become a major player in this field, just as it has in UAV/UCAV technology. This is because many existing security systems can be easily adapted for use in this field with minor modifications.

Air Firefighting Vehicles

According to data from the AA, in 2025, 105 helicopters, 27 aircraft and 14 UAVs will be in service within the OGM. However, the types of aircraft and whether they are leased from other countries are not specified.

However, discussions regarding the CL-215 aircraft in the THK inventory have continued since the Antalya fire four years ago. In contrast, it has been understood that the BE-200-type aircraft from Russia and Azerbaijan are suitable for Turkish conditions and perform well. Therefore, it is anticipated that our firefighting aircraft fleet should be strengthened by purchasing aircraft from THK or OGM as soon as possible. A portion of the funds allocated annually for leased aircraft could be used to establish our own firefighting fleet over the years. It has been reported in the press that some aircraft have already been added to the inventory. The exact number and types of aircraft will be determined following a detailed threat and risk assessment.

It is also important to provide aircraft and pilots with the necessary technical equipment and training for night-time firefighting operations to ensure uninterrupted response to fires. Of course, the effects of continuous night flights on a pilot's eye health must also be taken into account. It is possible that these aircraft will remain idle during the winter season. However, this problem can be overcome by cooperating with countries in the southern hemisphere, where winter occurs during the summer months.

Table-3 OGM 2025 Forest firefighting figures (16)

Destruction of combustible materials in stubble and similar areas

Looking at the above statistical information, it can be understood that this is the result of stubble burning. It is anticipated that this threat can be minimised through a proactive approach. In areas near forests, stubble and similar fields can be ploughed immediately after harvest, burying dry, flammable grass and plants in the soil, thereby eliminating flammable materials. Considering the number of stubble fields in areas where forest fires occur, it is anticipated that this can be done in a short time. When necessary, having the ploughing done by the government is more suitable for monitoring and control. Considering that a one-hour flight of an aerial firefighting aircraft costs approximately 5,000 USD (17), it is understood that ploughing stubble would impose almost no burden on the state. It would also save manpower, resources, and effort. Furthermore, if the clearing work is carried out by forest villagers in the region and they are paid for their work, this will also create an additional source of income for them.

Determination of Beekeeping Areas

Beekeeping areas are generally determined by the OGM. Clearing a specific part of the area where the hives are located will reduce the number of fires caused by such reasons. Over time, beekeeping areas will be determined naturally in each forest region according to the size of the forest and will become risk-free. If necessary, mobile firefighting stations can be established in these areas for immediate intervention in case of fire.

Regulation of Forest Boundaries in Forest Interiors, Adjacent Settlements, and Holiday Sites

In recent years, it has become clear that settlements have also been damaged in fires in Turkey and around the world. Therefore, clearing a distance from flammable materials to prevent the spread of fire, especially in forest villages, will be effective in this regard. Of course, this immediately raises the following question. Can there be a forest village without forests? Here, we are referring to the removal of flammable materials from a specific area. This is because, in the event of a fire, a much larger forest area and homes would already be destroyed.

First and foremost, forest villages/neighbourhoods, sites and settlements adjacent to forests should be included in the scope of DASK insurance and made compulsory, which would at least ensure compensation for property loss. Animals in forest villages or animal farms within forests should be included in insurance coverage. Insurance premiums for homes in forest villages could be paid by the state. Insuring animals in fire-prone areas under the TARSİM programme would also address the hardships faced in this regard.

Sharing Information About Burnt Areas on the Internet

When we look at incidents that threaten forests, we see that a significant portion of them are arson and forest clearing. Therefore, if information about burnt areas is continuously shared on the internet by the relevant state institutions, it is anticipated that rumours can be prevented and that such fires can be prevented as they will be under close public scrutiny. As reforestation is a technical issue, it has not been addressed here. However, if the measures outlined above are implemented, the public will be easily convinced.

Necessary legislative changes

Many of the issues discussed in this article require legislative changes. Therefore, detailed planning and work are needed on this issue. These include a series of measures ranging from regulating the personal rights of OGM personnel working in the field and increasing their powers, to increasing the penalties for those who cause forest fires and rewarding citizens, OGM personnel and law enforcement agencies who prevent fires. All these changes should also be shared with the public.

Cleaning of Forest Areas

Unfortunately, our forests are not clean. It has been observed that glass and plastic waste often cause fires. Every year, as part of the ‘Forest is Mine’ campaign, OGM personnel, forest villagers, volunteers, and students collect waste from picnic areas and roadside areas. However, this campaign should be expanded, supported with rewards and social media, and made more comprehensive to be more effective. In addition, cleaning can be carried out with ‘garbage drones’ in areas that are difficult to reach due to weather conditions.

Conclusion

In order to take more effective measures against forest fires

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry should be organised as two ministries, or if this is not possible, a unit related to ‘forestry’ should be established within the central organisation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Strategic concepts, plans, programmes and projects should be developed within a systematic framework over a period of years, and a layered, integrated and comprehensive system should be established for fire prevention and extinguishing activities, utilising IT and artificial intelligence systems within the framework of a defence system model. Awareness-raising and in-service training should be planned, and cooperation with universities should be established.

Utilising the Turkish defence industry in fire response,

Determining the type and number of aircraft required for the air firefighting fleet, increasing the number of aircraft, and prioritising international cooperation to achieve cost savings in this area,

Taking special measures for areas such as stubble fields, beekeeping, hunting, and recreational areas by considering them as risk areas, and cleaning these areas before the fire season,

Including immovable properties and domestic animals in risk areas within and near forests in insurance coverage,

It is deemed appropriate to make the necessary legislative changes.

It is anticipated that a significant portion of the measures outlined in this document, particularly the preventive ones, are also applicable to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

As Girne American University, we would like to state that we are ready to cooperate with the relevant units in Turkey and the TRNC in terms of training for the preparation of strategic plans, programmes and projects.

In fact, OGM personnel intervene in forest fires with great dedication. The issues mentioned here include measures that will prevent the expenditure of effort and resources and enable more effective intervention in fires.

This article is dedicated to my retired farmer father, Ekrem Akyar, who lives in Manisa/Turgutlu, and my late father-in-law, Yalçın Kaya Erim, who was the Forestry Manager of Manisa Yuntdağı.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. M. Sadık Akyar

Girne American University Faculty of Political Sciences

Head of the Department of International Relations

Footnotes

(1) Defence Planning Process, https://www.dau.edu/sites/default/files/2024-05/Defense%20Acquisition%20Overview-%20PPBE%2C%20May%202024.pdf, Access Date: 09 July 2025

(2) Turkish Armed Forces Defence Planning System; https://www.msb.gov.tr/Content/Upload/Docs/modernizasyon/terimlersozlugu07082009.doc, Accessed on: 7 July 2025

(3) NATO NPP Process, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49202.htm, Access Date: 7 July 2025

(4) Presidential Policy Councils, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/cumhurbaskanligina-bagli-ofis-ve-politika-kurullarina-iliskin-duzenlemeler-resmi-gazetede/3522186, Access Date: 09 July 2025

(5) Law No. 6831, , Accessed on: 9 July 2025

(6) Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Central Organisation, , Access date: 7 July 2025

(7) Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 2024-28 Strategic Plan, https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/SGB/Belgeler/stratejikplan.pdf, Access Date: 8 July 2025

(8) General Directorate of Forestry, Strategy Development Department, https://www.ogm.gov.tr/tr/kurulusumuz/merkez-birimleri/strateji-gelistirme-dairesi-baskanligi, Access Date: 8 July 2025

(9) Law No. 5436, https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.5436.pdf, Access Date: 9 July 2025

(10) OGM, Forest Fire Fighting Directorate, https://www.ogm.gov.tr/tr/kurulusumuz/merkez-birimleri/orman-yanginlariyla-mucadele-dairesi-baskanligi, Access Date: 8 July 2025

(11) The wind referred to here does not include the movement of animals or leaves. New-generation cameras can pre-identify movements that could cause fires. Examples: Vehicles, people with firearms (hunters), burning fires (shepherds, picnics), etc.

(12) The images were shared online at https://www.antiatlas.net/surveillance-through-social-networks-along-the-us-mexico-border-en/, Access date: 8 July 2025

(13) Manisa/Akhisar fire, https://www.diken.com.tr/akhisarda-yangin-suruyor-aricilik-yapan-bir-kisi-tutuklandi/, accessed on 09 July 2025

(14) OGM T-70 Helicopter Delivery, https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/Haber/5661/Ogm-Ilk-T70-Yangin-Sondurme-Helikopterini-Teslim-Aldi, Access Date: 09 July 2025

(15) Water-dropping helicopter project, https://www.defenceturk.net/ssbden-su-atar-helikopter-projesi, Access Date: 09 July 2025

(16) OGM 2025 Forest Fire Fighting Numerical Values, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/orman-teskilati-orman-yanginlariyla-mucadelede-kara-ve-hava-gucunu-artirdi/3575943, Access Date: 9 July 2025

(17) Unfortunately, no reliable information was available on this subject, so an average value was taken from the sources reviewed.

References

- Defence Planning Process, https://www.dau.edu/sites/default/files/2024-05/Defense%20Acquisition%20Overview-%20PPBE%2C%20May%202024.pdf, Access Date: 9 July 2025

- Turkish Armed Forces Defence Planning System; https://www.msb.gov.tr/Content/Upload/Docs/modernizasyon/terimlersozlugu07082009.doc, Access Date: 7 July 2025

- NATO NPP Process, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49202.htm, Access Date: 7 July 2025

- Presidential Policy Councils, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/cumhurbaskanligina-bagli-ofis-ve-politika-kurullarina-iliskin-duzenlemeler-resmi-gazetede/3522186, Access Date: 9 July 2025

- -6831 SK, https://mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.3.6831.pdf, Access Date: 9 July 2025

- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Central Organisation, , Access Date: 7 July 2025

- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 2024-28 Strategic Plan, https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/SGB/Belgeler/stratejikplan.pdf, Access Date: 8 July 2025

-General Directorate of Forestry, Strategy Development Department, https://www.ogm.gov.tr/tr/kurulusumuz/merkez-birimleri/strateji-gelistirme-dairesi-baskanligi, Access Date: 8 July 2025

- Law No. 5436, https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.5436.pdf, Access Date: 9 July 2025

- OGM, Forest Fire Fighting Directorate, https://www.ogm.gov.tr/tr/kurulusumuz/merkez-birimleri/orman-yanginlariyla-mucadele-dairesi-baskanligi, Access Date: 8 July 2025

- Publication of images online, https://www.antiatlas.net/surveillance-through-social-networks-along-the-us-mexico-border-en/, Access date: 8 July 2025

- Manisa/Akhisar fire, https://www.diken.com.tr/akhisarda-yangin-suruyor-aricilik-yapan-bir-kisi-tutuklandi/, Access date: 9 July 2025

- OGM T-70 Helicopter Delivery, https://www.tarimorman.gov.tr/Haber/5661/Ogm-Ilk-T70-Yangin-Sondurme-Helikopterini-Teslim-Aldi, Accessed on 09 July 2025

- Water-dropping helicopter project, https://www.defenceturk.net/ssbden-su-atar-helikopter-projesi, Access Date: 09 July 2025

- OGM 2025 Forest Fire Fighting Statistical Data, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/orman-teskilati-orman-yanginlariyla-mucadelede-kara-ve-hava-gucunu-artirdi/3575943, Access Date: 9 July 2025