Iran sends firefighting aid to Turkey

01-08-2021
Dilan Sirwan
Dilan Sirwan @DeelanSirwan
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iran is sending firefighting aid, including aerial vehicles, to Turkey to help control ongoing fires across the country, the Iranian ambassador to Turkey said on Saturday.

Turkey’s defence ministry on Saturday tweeted photos of an Iranian firefighting plane sent to the neighboring country, saying that efforts to extinguish the fires in Marmaris continue.

“Water was supplied to the firefighting plane sent from Iran with a 30-ton water tanker at our Aksaz Naval Base Command,” the tweet said. 

The tweet was later retweeted by the Iranian ambassador to Turkey Mohammad Farazmand saying “Neighbors will not leave each other alone.”

“Participation of our Ministry of Defense firefighting aircraft in fire control operations in southern Turkey. Ministry of Defense firefighting helicopters will also take part in the relief operation from tomorrow,” read the tweet from Farazmand. 

Fires have raged in Turkey since Wednesday, spreading to at least 21 provinces. It has severely impacted southern parts of the country, including Antalya where three people were killed. A fourth person died in Mugla province, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.  

Turkey’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Bekir Pakdemirli on Sunday said that they had controlled the majority of the fires - 107 out of 112.
 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday visited areas affected by the wildfires. 

Several countries have offered help to Turkey to control the fire including Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and now Iran.

Pakdemirli on Friday said that 4,000 personnel, three planes, nine unmanned aerial vehicles, one unmanned helicopter, 38 helicopters, 55 heavy duty vehicles, 680 water tenders, and one water tank are battling the blazes across the country.

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