ISTANBUL (AP) — Wildfires that have engulfed Turkey for weeks threatened the country’s fourth-largest city early Sunday, causing hundreds of people to flee their homes.

Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkey spread rapidly, bringing a red glow to the night sky over the city’s eastern suburbs.

Bursa governor’s office said in a statement Sunday that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned.

Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as “an apocalypse.”

By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to bring down the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood.

Turkey has been hit by dozens of wildfires daily since late June. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yamukli said fire crews across the country confronted 76 separate blazes Saturday.

The fires are being fueled by unseasonally high temperatures, dry conditions and string winds.

The General Directorate of Meteorology said Turkey recorded its highest ever temperature, 50.5C (122.9F) in the southeastern Sirnak province on Friday. The highest temperatures for July were seen in 132 other locations, it added.

Yamukli said the country’s northwest was under the greatest threat, including Karabuk, where wildfires have burned since Tuesday.

Thirteen people have died in recent weeks, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir in western Turkey.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said late Saturday that prosecutors had investigated fires in 33 provinces since June 26, adding that legal action had been taken against 97 suspects.

The severity of the fires led the government to declare two western provinces, Izmir and Bilecik, disaster areas on Friday.

ISTANBUL (AP) — The funerals of five rescue volunteers killed while battling a wildfire were held on Thursday in Turkey’s capital.

Grieving family and friends of the five members of the AKUT rescue organization were joined by leading politicians and crowds of mourning citizens at the Ahmet Hamdi Akseki Mosque in Ankara.

They died alongside five forestry workers Wednesday while trying to put out a wildfire raging through a forested area in the northwestern Eskisehir province, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said. At least 14 other rescuers and forestry workers were hospitalized, he said.

The bodies of all 10 were earlier brought to a forensic facility in Ankara for identification.

The deaths bring the number of fatalities in wildfires that have flared amid strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions so far in the country this year to 13. Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26.

Yumakli said that winds suddenly changed direction on Wednesday, causing the flames to shift rapidly and surround the forest workers. It wasn’t clear what caused the fire.

Personal details of those who died emerged, including a 28-year-old forestry worker who had returned to work from his honeymoon just two days earlier. One AKUT volunteer had spent a month rescuing the victims of a catastrophic earthquake that struck southern Turkey in February 2023.

Meanwhile, farmers in the neighboring province of Bilecik helped combat a separate fire by running convoys of tractors hauling water tanks to the blaze.

An older man and two forestry workers were killed in a wildfire that raged near the town of Odemis, in Izmir province, earlier this month.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — At least 10 firefighters and rescue workers were killed Wednesday and many others injured while battling a wildfire in northwestern Turkey, Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said.

The five forestry workers and five members of the AKUT rescue organization died while trying to put out the wildfire raging through a forested area of Eskisehir province, Yumakli said. At least 14 other rescuers and forestry workers were hospitalized, he said.

The deaths bring the number of fatalities in wildfires that have flared amid strong winds, high temperatures and dry conditions so far in the country this year to 13.

The minister said the wind suddenly changed direction, causing the flames to shift rapidly and surround the forest workers. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

Yumakli said firefighters were currently battling seven wildfires in Turkey, including the one in Eskisehir, adding that extreme heat and volatile wind conditions also were expected in Turkey on Thursday.

“Starting tomorrow, we are facing extraordinary temperatures and extreme wind shifts. Once again, I call on all 86 million citizens to be vigilant and exercise extra caution,” he said.

In a message of condolence to the families, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the victims had fought “to protect our forests at cost of their lives.”

Two prosecutors were assigned to investigate the incident, the country’s justice minister said.

Turkey has been battling wildfires since June 26.

An elderly man and two forestry workers were killed in a wildfire that raged near the town of Odemis, in Izmir province, earlier this month.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Activists on Wednesday called for more protests of a new law that they say weakens Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs, following the first major anti-government demonstration in over three years of war.

The legislation also has drawn rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups, as well as putting increased pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and endangering his public support at a critical phase of the war.

On Wednesday evening, the heads of the delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to Turkey’s HaberTurk television. It was not immediately clear whether this marked the start of the formal direct talks. Expectations for a breakthrough when the delegations themselves met were low.

In the morning, Zelenskyy convened the heads of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption and security agencies in response to the outcry against his decision to approve the law that was passed by parliament.

“We all hear what society says,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after the meeting. But he insisted the new legal framework was needed to crack down harder on corruption.

“Criminal cases should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those working against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune from punishment,” he said.

Zelenskyy said all government agencies agreed to work constructively and respond to public expectations for fairness and effectiveness. A detailed joint action plan is expected within two weeks, aimed at addressing institutional weaknesses, removing legal hurdles, and ensuring justice across the board, he said.

Thousands of people gathered in the capital and other cities Tuesday to urge Zelenskyy to veto the controversial bill. After he approved it, activists went on social media to call for another demonstration Wednesday night in central Kyiv.

Zelenskyy has been the international face of Ukraine’s determination to defeat Russia’s all-out invasion, and his domestic troubles are an unwelcome diversion from the war effort.

The legislation tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. Critics say the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and give Zelenskyy’s circle greater influence over investigations.

EU officials warn of possible setback to joining bloc

Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war.

“Limiting the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency hampers Ukraine’s way towards the EU,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned in a post on X.

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, also on X, noted: “In war, trust between the fighting nation and its leadership is more important than modern weapons — difficult to build and to keep, but easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership.”

The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticized the parliament’s decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since 2014, when Ukrainians ousted a pro-Moscow president in what they called the Revolution of Dignity, and damages trust with international partners. It accused authorities of “dismantling” the country’s anti-corruption architecture.

Zelenskyy said the new law clears out “Russian influence” from fighting corruption and ensures punishment for those found guilty of it. He cited years of delays in criminal proceedings involving huge amounts of money.

“The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated,” he said in a Telegram post early Wednesday. “For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason –- in very nice countries and without legal consequences -– and this is not normal,” he said.

He didn’t give examples of what he said was Russian interference.

The legal changes in Ukraine would grant the prosecutor general new authority over investigations and cases handled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, appointed by Zelenskyy just over a month ago, said the anti-corruption watchdogs and other law enforcement agencies would keep working as before.

“The prosecutor general has only been granted broader powers and an increased scope of authority,” Kravchenko told a news conference as officials moved to ease public concern.

The anger and frustration among war-weary Ukrainians prevailed in the crowd Tuesday. Some protesters accused Ukraine’s leadership of prioritizing loyalty and personal connections over fighting corruption.

“Those who swore to protect the laws and the constitution have instead chosen to shield their inner circle, even at the expense of Ukrainian democracy,” said veteran Oleh Symoroz, who lost both legs after he was wounded in 2022.

Russian officials relished Zelenskyy’s difficulties, although Moscow faces its own series of corruption cases against government and military officials.

A third round of direct talks on the war

The third direct meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey in as many months wasn’t expected to make progress on ending the war and would likely focus on further exchanges of prisoners of war.

Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul “will again insist on the need for an immediate and complete ceasefire, including … strikes on civilian infrastructure.”

Russian drone strikes knocked out power to more than 220,000 customers in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, Zelenskyy said on Telegram, adding that repairs restored most of the supply in hours.

Ukrainian and Western officials have accused the Kremlin of stalling in the talks in order for its bigger army to capture more Ukrainian land.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Russia with severe economic sanctions and said more American weapons, paid for by European countries, would go to Ukraine. Trump hardened his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin about unsuccessful talks for a ceasefire.

Trump gave Russia until early September to agree to a ceasefire.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and Britain on Wednesday signed a preliminary agreement for the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets to Turkey, a significant step in Ankara’s efforts to modernize its air fleet.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler and his British counterpart, John Healey, inked a memorandum of understanding during a defense industry fair in Istanbul, Turkey’s Ministry of National Defense said.

NATO member Turkey has long aimed to buy 40 Eurofighter jets, which are built by a consortium of British, German and Italian companies. Germany reportedly initially opposed the sale but later reversed its position. Britain led negotiations on behalf of the consortium.

A Turkish defense ministry statement said the memorandum takes the two countries “one step closer to a full agreement on the Typhoon.”

“Both Ministers welcome signature as a positive step towards bringing Turkey into the Typhoon club and share a mutual ambition to conclude the necessary arrangements as soon as possible,” it added.

Turkish officials have said that they are still negotiating over pricing and technical terms, saying that they have received an initial offer and expect to submit a counter-proposal.

Turkey is also seeking to return to the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program, from which the country was ousted in 2019, following its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. The U.S. said the systems posed a risk to the F-35s.

Turkey is also developing a domestic fifth-generation fighter jet, the KAAN, which is slated to be operational in 2028.

BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S. envoy doubled down on Washington’s support for the new government in Syria, saying Monday there is “no Plan B” to working with the current authorities to unite the country still reeling from a nearly 14-year civil war and now wracked by a new outbreak of sectarian violence.

He took a critical tone toward Israel’s recent intervention in Syria, calling it poorly timed and saying that it complicated efforts to stabilize the region.

Tom Barrack, who is ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and also has a short-term mandate in Lebanon, made the comments in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press during a visit to Beirut. He spoke following more than a week of clashes in the southern province of Sweida between militias of the Druze religious minority and local Sunni Muslim Bedouin tribes.

Syrian government forces intervened, ostensibly to restore order, but ended up siding with the Bedouins before withdrawing under a ceasefire agreement with Druze factions. Hundreds have been killed in the fighting, and some government fighters allegedly shot dead Druze civilians and burned and looted their houses.

In the meantime, Israel intervened last week on behalf of the Druze, who are seen as a loyal minority within Israel and often serve in its military. Israel launched dozens of strikes on convoys of government forces in Sweida and also struck the Syrian Ministry of Defense headquarters in central Damascus.

Over the weekend, Barrack announced a ceasefire between Syria and Israel, without giving details. Syrian government forces have redeployed in Sweida to halt renewed clashes between the Druze and Bedouins, and civilians from both sides were set to be evacuated Monday.

US envoy says Israeli intervention ‘came at a very bad time’

Barrack told the AP that “the killing, the revenge, the massacres on both sides” are “intolerable,” but that “the current government of Syria, in my opinion, has conducted themselves as best they can as a nascent government with very few resources to address the multiplicity of issues that arise in trying to bring a diverse society together.”

Regarding Israel’s strikes on Syria, Barrack said: “The United States was not asked, nor did they participate in that decision, nor was it the United States responsibility in matters that Israel feels is for its own self-defense.”

However, he said that Israel’s intervention “creates another very confusing chapter” and “came at a very bad time.”

Prior to the conflict in Sweida, Israel and Syria had been engaging in talks over security matters, while the Trump administration had been pushing them to move toward a full normalization of diplomatic relations.

When the latest fighting erupted, “Israel’s view was that south of Damascus was this questionable zone, so that whatever happened militarily in that zone needed to be agreed upon and discussed with them,” Barrack said. “The new government (in Syria) coming in was not exactly of that belief.”

The ceasefire announced Saturday between Syria and Israel is a limited agreement addressing only the conflict in Sweida, he said. It does not address the broader issues between the two countries, including Israel’s contention that the area south of Damascus should be a demilitarized zone.

In the discussions leading up to the ceasefire, Barrack said “both sides did the best they can” to came to an agreement on specific questions related to the movement of Syrian forces and equipment from Damascus to Sweida.

“Whether you accept that Israel can intervene in a sovereign state is a different question,” he said.

He suggested that Israel would prefer to see Syria fragmented and divided rather than a strong central state in control of the country.

“Strong nation states are a threat — especially Arab states are viewed as a threat to Israel,” he said. But in Syria, he said, “I think all of the the minority communities are smart enough to say, we’re better off together, centralized.”

A Damascus deal with Kurdish forces still in play

The violence in Sweida has deepened the distrust of minority religious and ethnic groups in Syria toward the new government in Damascus, led by Sunni Muslim former insurgents who unseated Syria’s longtime autocratic ruler, Bashar Assad, in a lightning offensive in December.

The attacks on Druze civilians followed the deaths of hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority to which Assad belongs earlier this year in sectarian revenge attacks on the Syrian coast. While interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has promised to protect minorities and punish those who target civilians, many feel his government has not done enough to stop such attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.

At the same time, Damascus has been negotiating with the Kurdish forces that control much of northeast Syria to implement an agreement that would merge the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces with the new national army.

Barrack, who spoke to SDF leader Mazloum Abdi over the weekend, said he does not believe the violence in Sweida will derail those talks and that there could be a breakthrough “in the coming weeks.”

Neighboring Turkey, which wants to curtail the influence of Kurdish groups along its border and has tense relations with Israel, has offered to provide defense assistance to Syria.

Barrack said the U.S. has “no position” on the prospect of a defense pact between Syria and Turkey.

“It’s not in the U.S.’s business or interest to tell any of the surrounding nations with each other what to do,” he said.