Türkiye dispatches two firefighting planes to Spain

ANKARA

Türkiye has dispatched two firefighting aircraft to aid Spain in battling severe forest fires, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı announced on July 26.

Expressing deep concern over the ongoing wildfires spreading across several European nations, Yumaklı extended his sympathies to the affected countries in a social media post and shared his hopes for a swift containment of the blazes.

“We remain committed to supporting all affected nations. To that end, we have deployed two firefighting aircraft at the request of our ally, Spain. I wish our crews taking off today and all teams battling these blazes the very best of luck. May no more forests burn and no more lives be lost, anywhere in the world, for forests are the shared heritage of all humanity,” the minister said.

Escalating heat and months of minimal rain triggered aggressive wildfires in France and Spain, leaving crews battling blazes across July 26 and 27.

In a sign that containment efforts are making headway against some of the worst blazes in Spanish history, authorities announced plans to begin allowing select evacuees near Madrid to return home on July 27.