At the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the "BE-200CS" amphibious aircraft from Azerbaijan will assist in extinguishing forest fires in the western part of İzmir Province, according to Turkiye’s Interior Minister.

He noted that the aircraft can drop 12 tons of water on each flight over the fire zones. Additionally, he reported that 4,159 people have been evacuated from the affected areas, and the government has allocated funds to support the local population in the disaster zone.

Minister Yerlikaya also mentioned that several individuals suspected of starting the fires have been detained. He added, "Those responsible for the fires are being identified and handed over to law enforcement."

Furthermore, Turkiye’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı, reported that as of the morning of August 18, there are eight active fire fronts across the country. "In just the past two days, aviation has dropped 7,662 tons of water on the fire zones," he said.

Minister Yumaklı also thanked Azerbaijan for its assistance. He noted that the amphibious aircraft landed at İzmir’s Adnan Menderes Airport during the night of August 18.

Ramin Abdullayev

Special Correspondent for AZERTAC

Ankara