Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for Azerbaijan's crucial assistance in battling the devastating forest fires that have ravaged Türkiye.

According to Ednews, speaking after a meeting of the Turkish Cabinet of Ministers, Erdogan acknowledged the significant impact of Azerbaijan's support, stating, "On his instructions, a plane was sent to Türkiye to extinguish fires. With the help of this plane, we very effectively put out the fires."

The Turkish leader highlighted the alarming increase in forest fires this year, with the number more than doubling to reach 5,540. In response to this crisis, Türkiye has deployed an extensive array of resources, including 27 planes, 105 helicopters, and over 5,000 units of ground equipment. Erdogan emphasized the government's commitment to tackling the fires, with relevant ministers constantly present on site and providing regular updates.

Azerbaijan's swift response to Türkiye's call for help came in the form of the BE-200ChS amphibious aircraft, dispatched by the Ministry of Emergency Situations aviation detachment on the orders of President Ilham Aliyev. This state-of-the-art aircraft has actively extinguished forest fires in the Usak-Esme region of western Türkiye.