Jordan offers assistance to Turkey to contain forest fires

By Laith Al-Juneidi

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) – Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Saturday offered assistance to Turkey to help the country confront forest fires that broke out since Wednesday.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said he called his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu to offer Jordan’s condolences to Turkey over the victims of the fires.

Safadi said King Abdullah II has issued directives to provide Turkey with any assistance needed to confront the fires.

“At the directives of His Majesty, we are ready to offer any support needed,” he said on Twitter, adding that his country will “stand in full solidarity with our brethren.”

Since July 28, a total of 98 forest fires erupted in Turkey, with most of them being in southern regions, while the Turkish authorities managed to take 88 of them under control. Six people have so far lost their lives in the fires.

The Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli on Saturday said on Twitter that the efforts were underway to bring the remaining 10 forest fires under control.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara