Chaos in Turkey as wildfires force 1,500 to flee homes with 13 dead

Turkey has been hit by fresh wildfires, leaving 1,500 people to evacuate their homes, while at least 13 are reported dead.

Residents in Bursa received early warnings on Sunday about severe wildfires spreading through forested mountains in northwest Turkey. The fires quickly moved across the area, prompting the evacuation of 1,765 people from nearby villages, according to local officials. In the past 24 hours, at least 76 fires were reported across the country, with significant ones still burning in Bursa, Karabuk, Usak, and Kahramanmaras.

Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as "an apocalypse." Turkey experienced a historic heat milestone on Friday, with temperatures soaring to an unprecedented 50.5C (123°F) in the southeastern province of rnak-the highest ever recorded in the country.

Turkey's interior minister declared the western provinces of Izmir and Bilecik "disaster areas" after a month of fires in the country.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said on Friday that the country faced "a truly great disaster" and that 25,000 people were involved in the emergency effort.

Fresh wildfires erupted along Turkey's Mediterranean coast on Friday, prompting the government to declare two western provinces as disaster zones. New fires were also reported in Adana and Mersin, east of Antalya.

Meanwhile, crews continued fighting ongoing blazes in Eskisehir and Karabuk, which have been burning for days.

Photos captured dramatic scenes of flames and thick smoke rising near high-rise apartments in Antalya-a popular summer destination for both locals and tourists.

It somes several parts of Europe have been impacted by the wildfires with authorities scrambling to take peventive measures.

Greece has been battling over 50 wildfires within the last 24 hours, prompting emergency evacuations in several suburbs of Athens. In response to the escalating crisis, authorities have appealed to the European Union for six additional firefighting aircraft.