The General Directorate of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provided training to Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) students on combating forest fires under the slogan "Being a Volunteer is Now Easier."

The program, held at the Hanife Aşçı Conference Hall of the Faculty of Tourism, was attended by OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, Amasya Regional Forestry Director Ferdi Özer, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism Prof. Dr. Yetkin Bulut, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Muharrem Özcan, Director of Bafra Tourism Vocational School Assoc. Prof. Seyfullah Gül, Deputy Regional Forestry Director Mehmet Kurumeşe, Bafra Forestry Operations Manager Mustafa Bayraktar, academicians, administrative staff, and students.

"Our university is the only university in Türkiye with an accredited search and rescue team"

In his speech, Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal emphasized the critical importance of the training received on forest fires for the future. He said, "It's not just a tree burning here. Along with the tree, our entire existence is disappearing. Consider the value that forests add to us and nature. We see that all this can be destroyed by negligence or betrayal. Creating awareness on this matter is very important to us. Especially as a generation of university students, you need to perceive this as part of your life. You must develop sensitivity, especially to attacks in the context of betrayal. The training you receive will sometimes enable you to overcome forest fires caused by negligence or accident with minimal damage. Because in such situations, you must learn to protect yourself. Therefore, we aim to expand the training provided at our university, encourage your friends to participate in this matter, and institutionalize this training. Our university is the only university in Türkiye with an accredited search and rescue team. Our goal is for our students to be part of this team and ready for duty when needed. This training is a great source of pride for us. We are also working on planned afforestation activities on every campus and the protection of our forests. This can only be done by educated people, not just by us."

"Being a Volunteer and Promoting It is Extremely Important"

Rector Ünal highlighted that being sensitive to nature is also part of the training and continued: "If you are curious about why smoke is rising in the forest, it means you are fulfilling the requirement of this training. Therefore, knowing where to apply and what position to take is extremely important. This situation is not just your problem; it is also a problem of humanity. You will undoubtedly achieve great work if your sensitivity to human feelings and values is strong. This means you will be on the side of spreading beauty and goodness throughout your life. As a University, we value the demands of our students. If you can produce a demand for improvement by seeing a problem or need, it means this dialogue will continue throughout your life. Responding to such a call is very valuable to us. I hope you will take part in this process more professionally from now on. I want to extend my final thanks to our ministry because they spread this activity and developed a policy promoting volunteerism. Therefore, being a volunteer and promoting it is extremely important."

"If We Multiply and Protect Our Forests, We Will Also Prevent Great Danger"

Amasya Regional Forestry Director Ferdi Özer emphasized their ongoing efforts to protect, maintain, and improve Turkey's forests, stating: "While fulfilling our duties, there are times when we struggle, fall short, and our strength is insufficient. Unfortunately, forest fires are at the top of these. Especially since 2020, forest fires in our country's Southern and Aegean regions have lasted for days, weeks, and even months. But fortunately, we have seen tremendous support from all segments of society, led by our state's leaders. With our 'Forest Volunteer' project, we seek your support in areas where we cannot reach and fall short. So far, many citizens, from villagers to shepherds in the mountains, have almost competed to be our forest volunteers. I hope we will pass on our forests to future generations in the best way possible with the support of our organization and all institutions and organizations in our country. We will also prevent great danger if we multiply and protect our forests. You will become more conscious forest volunteers with the training you receive today. We do not expect you to fight on the front lines in potential fires. As I said, that is our duty. We already have the equipment and vehicles for this. We ask you to support us at least and provide strength in the background in such major disasters. On the other hand, if you talk about the training you receive in your social environments, your surroundings will also have basic knowledge."

Following the speeches, Engin Keleş, Head of the Forest Fire Fighting Branch of the Amasya Regional Forestry Directorate, gave a presentation on combating forest fires, informing OMU students.

Additionally, certificates were awarded to those who participated in the training to become forest volunteers and succeeded in the subsequent exam.