MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2023) Turkey will send two amphibious firefighting aircraft and one firefighting helicopter with crews to battle wildfires in Greece, the Turkish Directorate of Communications said Friday.
"Under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 2 firefighting planes and 1 firefighting helicopter registered in the inventory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry General Directorate of Forestry and crews will be sent to Greece," the directorate tweeted.
Greek Fire Service spokesman Vasilios Vathrakogiannis said on Tuesday that Athens has requested and was granted firefighting assistance from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, which vowed to send four planes to help put out several large fires raging across Greece. Greece's request was immediately responded to by Poland, which provided 149 firefighters and 49 vehicles, Romania, which sent 40 firefighters and five engines, and Slovakia, which offered 31 firefighters and 15 vehicles.
Severe wildfires are raging across Greece, with particularly dangerous ones in West Attica near the seaside resort of Loutraki on the Gulf of Corinth and the island of Rhodes.
