Countries continue to provide Turkey with support as it battles fires

By Ayse Yildiz and Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

ANTALYA, Turkey/LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (AA) - Support continued to flow in from a number of countries Thursday as Turkey battled wildfires that broke out last week on its southern and southwestern coasts.

Azerbaijan’s deputy minister of emergency situations Etibar Mirzayev arrived in Turkey’s Mugla province along with a team of 350 people, technical equipment, 53 vehicles, a helicopter, a support team of 11 personnel, two water tanks and a firefighting plane.

Croatia sent a firefighting plane and Iran supported extinguishing efforts with a firefighting plane and two helicopters. Spain also sent a team of 27 people and two firefighting planes and Qatar provided a team of 66 people.

Russia supported Turkey with five firefighting planes, three helicopters and two water tanks. Ukraine also sent three firefighting planes, a water tank and four helicopters.

A total of 21 personnel and seven vehicles from the Forestry Department and Civil Defense Organization of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) arrived in Antalya province Wednesday.

According to a statement from the Civil Defense Organization in the TRNC, the team reached Alanya district and intervened in the fires in the Gazipasa region.

Turkey has successfully contained a total of 180 wildfires in the last nine days, the country’s agriculture and forestry minister said Thursday.

The wildfires erupted in 38 of the country's 81 provinces, Bekir Pakdemirli said on Twitter, adding efforts are underway to put out the remaining 13 blazes in six provinces -- Adana, Antalya, Aydin, Denizli, Isparta and Mugla.

According to official figures, at least eight people have lost their lives since the fires started on July 28.

*Writing by Merve Berker