Turkey prays for rain amid drought, fires

Ankara [Turkey], August 1: Amid worsening drought, wildfires and record-shattering temperatures, Turkey is turning to both faith and water tanks in a desperate bid to confront mounting climate stress. Ahead of the late evening prayers on Thursday, imams in 90,000 mosques across the country will lead special prayers for rain and protection from wildfires, Religious Affairs chief Ali Erba? wrote on X. He called on locals to join in from mosques and balconies. The call comes as the climate toll grows in Turkey. According to the Ministry of Forestry and Environment, more than 2,000 forest fires have broken out in Turkey so far this year. In the past few weeks alone, at least 14 people and countless animals have died in the fires. The fires and the numerous deaths have drawn sharp criticism of the government. The government is accused of being poorly prepared for the fires and of being unable to fight effectively. Meanwhile, temperatures are soaring to historic extremes: on July 25, the south-eastern town of Silopi recorded 50.5 degrees Celsius, Turkey's highest temperature on record, state-run news agency Anadolu reported. (dpa)
Source: Qatar Tribune