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191 wildfires in Turkey under control: Forestry minister

Efforts are underway to put out the remaining 13 blazes in Adana, Antalya, Aydin, Denizli, Isparta and Mugla provinces, Turkey's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Bekir Pakdemirli says.

AFP

A volunteer from a nearby village uses a shovel to help contain smouldering forest fires in the hills of a recently burnt area near Kavaklidere, a town in Mugla province, Turkey, August 5, 2021.

Turkey has contained a total of 191 wildfires in 44 provinces over the last nine days, according to the country's agriculture and forestry minister.

Efforts are underway to put out the remaining 13 blazes in six provinces - Adana, Antalya, Aydin, Denizli, Isparta and Mugla - Bekir Pakdemirli said on Twitter on Thursday.

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

"We continue our effective intervention with 16 planes, 56 helicopters and 850 water trucks and tankers," Pakdemirli said in a joint press conference earlier in the evening.

AA

Supporting the efforts to extinguish forest fires, Russian planes are resupplying in Izmir.

These are supported by a total of 23 aircraft from different countries, including five aircraft and three helicopters from Russia, three aircraft and four helicopters from Ukraine, two amphibious aircraft from Spain, an amphibious aircraft from Croatia, and an aircraft and two helicopters from Azerbaijan, he told reporters in Marmaris district in the southern province of Mugla.

The wildfires have affected 3,714 farmers, 31,000 decares of land, 668 decares of greenhouse production area, 397 cattle, 3,961 sheep and goats, 4,856 beehives, 1,353 agricultural structures, 1,137 machines and 2,088 tons of products in depots in five provinces, 18 districts and 99 villages, added Pakdemirli.

Also present at the press conference, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said a total of 36,365 people from 11,844 households were evacuated due to the flames in Mugla.

So far, 2,975 personnel have participated in efforts to extinguish the flames, Soylu said.

Also, 110 personnel and 54 vehicles from Azerbaijan have been transferred to Turkey and are in the field, he noted.

Soylu also said that a total of $2.34 million (20 million Turkish liras) of aid had been sent to the region by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Ministry of Family and Social Services, and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

AFP

A man pushes a cycle along a road in the vicinity of a forest fire close to the Kemerkoy Thermal Power Plant, at Oren in Milas, northen Turkey on August 4, 2021.

Turkey receives more condolences

Turkey on Thursday received more condolences over ongoing wildfires which have claimed eight lives so far.

According to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg offered his condolences to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during a phone talk. The two officials also discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau also expressed his condolences to Cavusoglu over the wildfires burning across southern Turkey in a separate phone call, the statement added.

Cavuoglu also talked to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, with the latest situation regarding the ongoing forest fires discussed.

Bayramov said on Twitter that Azerbaijan always stands by "brotherly Turkey" and "is ready to send any help to Turkey during these difficult times.”

Cavusoglu, in response, thanked Azerbaijan on Twitter, saying: "In good times and in bad times, Turkey and Azerbaijan always stand shoulder to shoulder.”

Earlier, messages of support poured in for Turkey’s fight against forest fires, including those from Yemen, Spain, Israel, and Egypt.

SOURCE: AA