Turkish Airlines rents 2 more firefighting helicopters

By Kenan Irtak

ISTANBUL (AA) - Flag carrier Turkish Airlines on Monday rented two additional helicopters to help Turkey extinguish ongoing forest fires in the country.

Turkish Airlines continues to support efforts to fight the largest forest fires in Turkey's history, according to an airline statement.

The air carrier previously announced that the company will donate 150,000 seedlings to reforest areas of Turkey hit by massive fires.

Now it has rented two firefighting helicopters and made them available to the Forestry Directorate under the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry.

Two Mil Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters with a capacity of 2.5 tons of water to fight fires were leased for two months with a one-month option and delivered on Aug. 9.

The copters will be situated at Dalaman Airport in Mugla province, southwestern Turkey, ready to respond to possible fires in the region as quickly as possible.

Negotiations are also underway for a third helicopter to be delivered, the statement said.

At least eight people have been killed, according to official figures, since fires started in southern and southwestern Turkey in late July.

*Writing by Merve Berker