Wildfires force Turkey to close key waterway

The Dardanelles Strait has been temporarily shut to maritime traffic due to large forest fires raging in north-western Turkey, the country’s transport ministry has said.

The major international waterway was shut as a precautionary measure, it said, as the blazes spread near the city of Canakkale, where a number of residents have been evacuated.

Turkish firefighters have been deployed to try to contain the fires. Specialist firefighting planes and helicopters are also in use.

The Dardanelles links the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Together with the Bosporus Strait, it serves as a vital route for commercial shipping between Europe and Asia.