EU mobilises aid to Turkey to help control wildfires

Istanbul, Aug 2 (EFE).- Turkish authorities and the European Union intensified efforts on Monday to control eight wildfires raging in the popular tourist destinations in the south and west of the country.

Spain and Croatia have sent three aircrafts to the regions to help extinguish the fires that have claimed at least eight lives, destroyed hectares of forest and agricultural land and forced the evacuation of villages and hotels.

“The EU stands in full solidarity with Turkey at this difficult time, I thank all the countries which have offered help,” Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with the Turkish people who have lost their loved ones and with the brave first responders who are doing their best to battle the deadly fires. We stand ready to provide further assistance,” he added.

Azerbaijan sent 100 firefighters to help battle the fires in the popular tourist destination of Marmaris, where several villages and neighborhoods have been evacuated and major roads blocked.

Among the eight fires that are still active is the one that broke out last Wednesday in Manavgat, on the Mediterranean coast, about 60 kilometers east of Antalya, where 7 of the 8 fatalities were reported.

The high temperatures in the eastern Mediterranean, which can exceed 40 degrees celsius, make it difficult to extinguish fires that have erupted in Turkey and neighboring Greece and Italy. EFE

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