Russian-made fire suppression tank deployed in Muğla fires has been missing for 5 years

A fire suppression tank imported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry from Russia in 2020 has been missing for five years after being used once during the 2021 fire in the Milas district of Muğla's Bayır Village. The Ministry has not disclosed to the public when and where the tank is being stored.

Mehmet Atıcı, former mayor of Alatepe Village, said, 'Despite five years having passed, we haven't seen the tank again. While Muğla burns every year, this vehicle should definitely have been replicated and deployed.'

The tank, operated by a three-person crew in an enclosed cabin, could penetrate into the forest despite smoke and flames, both clearing paths and spraying water; in 2021 it was documented responding directly to the center of the fire. The then-Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Pakdemirli, said that year that 'we will undertake domestic production in cooperation with the defense industry.' Neither domestic production began nor was the imported tank redeployed; during this period, Muğla faced multiple major fires.