Turkey fires close busy Dardanelles Strait shipping route

Wildfires in Turkey forced authorities to suspend shipping in the busy Dardanelles Strait and evacuate villages on Friday as firefighters battled the blazes, officials said.

Turkey "temporarily" shut the busy strait in both directions, the transport ministry said, after the fires broke out in the northwestern province of Canakkale and spread, fanned by heavy winds.

Authorities evacuated three villages and a care home that housed 52 elderly people, the provincial governor's office said in a statement.

Images broadcast by Turkish media showed firefighters being forced to abandon one of their trucks on a forest road as the flames engulfed it.

Authorities warned of further strong winds at the weekend with temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius.

Linking the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara, the Dardanelles Strait is a popular tourist destination because it is also the site of the ancient ruins of the city of Troy.

In July, one wildfire killed at least 10 forest workers and rescuers who were fighting a blaze near Eskisehir in western Turkey.

Authorities say the risk of fires will remain high until October.

Scientists say human-caused climate change is raising the likelihood and intensity of wildfires.