Two separate fires swept through the Turkish province of Canakkale this afternoon, prompting the evacuation of several towns and the temporary closure of the Dardanelles Strait and the airport in the city of Canakkale, TRT Haber reported.

According to the governor of Canakkale, Ömer Toraman, two large fires are currently raging in the district - one in an area near the village of Saracaeli, just a few kilometers from the city of Canakkale, and another in the area of the town of Bayramıc, about 40 kilometers south of the city of Canakkale. In connection with the fires, students have currently been evacuated from the campus of the university in the city of Canakkale, which is located on the outskirts of the city, as well as three villages in the Bayramıc area, BTA reports.

Meanwhile, in the early afternoon, the Turkish Ministry of Transport announced a temporary suspension of ship traffic in both directions of the Dardanelles in order to facilitate the collection of water by air teams involved in extinguishing the fire. A little later, civil aviation flights at the airport in the city of Canakkale were also suspended, leaving it open only to planes and helicopters involved in extinguishing the fires.