Cops have arrested an arsonist after he inadvertently incriminated himself when he confessed to starting a fatal forest fire for money in a phone call to a female acquaintance, who recorded the call and passed it to the authorities.

In the call, 40-year-old Ali Y., reportedly confessed to starting the devastating fire that raged through pine forests in the district of Manavgat in Turkey’s south-western province of Antalya on 28th July.

The fire and others that simultaneously broke out were fatal, killing a local resident and two forest workers. They injured dozens and left hundreds of people homeless.

The authorities apparently made a huge leap forward in their investigations when a local woman, 40-year-old Ozlem Tasdoven, handed over an audio recording to the police allegedly implicating Ali Y.

In the recording, which was made automatically via an app on Ozlem’s mobile phone, Ali Y. stated how he started the forest fire with petrol, allegedly in exchange for money.

In the clip, the suspect could be heard saying: “I started the fire in the Manhayit area of Guclukoy for TRY 1,000 (GBP 87).”

According to the statement Ozlem gave to the police, the person who paid Ali Y. and the person who contracted him to start the fire were different people. No motive was reported.

Ali Y. was arrested shortly afterwards. During questioning, he told the police he was addicted to drugs and was under the influence when he made the phone call.

He denied the accusation and even told the police he told Ozlem he started the fire to ‘impress’ her.

He told the police he was elsewhere at the time the fire broke out. However, his mobile phone signal and eyewitness reports placed him at the crime scene.

Ozlem denied being romantically involved with Ali Y. – as was speculated in local media – saying she simply knew him from their village.

The devastating fires that broke out in their hundreds in southern and south-western Turkey on 28th July took over a fortnight to be brought under control.

Of her decision to report Ali Y. to the police, Ozlem said: “I did my civic duty.”