2 Spanish planes fighting forest fires in SW Turkey

MUGLA, Turkey

Two Spanish firefighting planes started operating Tuesday in southwestern Turkey, assisting Turkey's efforts to extinguish fires through both aerial and ground operations.

After landing at Mugla’s Dalaman Airport late Monday, 27 Spanish pilots of CL-415 planes worked to fight fires in the districts of Marmaris, Milas, and Koycegiz in coordination with Turkey’s fire management center.

In a Monday phone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares conveyed Madrid’s solidarity and condolences for the fires’ victims.

Albares also told Cavusoglu about Madrid’s decision to send the two CL-415s and a Spanish Air Force C-295 transport plane, as well as a complete Military Emergency Unit (UME) team to help firefighting efforts, said a Spanish Foreign Ministry statement.

The Turkish government has said that a vast majority of the forest fires have been contained. At least eight people have been killed, with firefighters, locals, and volunteers working tirelessly to bring the blazes under control.