2021 forest fires on Türkiye’s Sandras Mountain: tensions between centralised management and local response

Nihan Bozok and Mehmet Bozok

Third World Quarterly, 2025, vol. 46, issue 9, 1039-1058

Abstract: Mega forest fires ravaged Türkiye’s Western Mediterranean region, leading to significant ecological and human losses in two weeks from July to August 2021. Sandras Mountain in Muğla was a major hotspot. This study investigates the research question ‘In what ways do discrepancies between socio-cultural relations and the administrative context influence the dynamics of forest fires, especially concerning the country’s remote forestry system and local responses to the disaster?’ The data is collected using qualitative methodology, through interviews and participant observations in 2021, with follow-up research in 2022 and 2023. The research findings indicate that the centralised forest paradigm excludes local actors and has been largely insufficient in fire management. Reducing fire damage also depends on local communities’ knowledge of the terrain and fire dynamics. Improving disaster response outcomes requires integrating local expertise and engaging with the community in fire response and mitigation strategies.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2025.2514571

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