“Friends in need can count on us. I thank the Ministry of Interior and Administration for the excellent cooperation,” the president added.
– The President asked the government to support Turkey regarding the fires that swept the Turkish coast. The rescue team of the State Fire Service and the police S70i Black Hawk helicopter equipped with firefighting equipment and logistics security will head tomorrow and Saturday to Turkey. The head of the National Security Office, Bowie Soluch, said a total of more than a dozen people.
“Polish aid has a symbolic but also tangible dimension,” he added. He stressed that the situation related to fires in Turkey is so serious that all local forces and resources have been diverted to protect the lives and property of citizens.
The state fire service said the Turkish side had asked Poland for support in fighting the fires that the country has been battling for more than a week. The PSP stressed that the assistance will be provided thanks to the initiative and support of President Andrzej Duda and Minister of the Interior and Administration Mariusz Kaminsky.
The headquarters of the State Fire Service announced that preparations are underway to dispatch a group of 14 people. It will consist of 6 firefighters, 8 policemen, a Black Hawk helicopter and a PSP vehicle.
Almost like the first Friday. At 4 a.m., wheeled transportation will go off. A vehicle will be transported from the State Fire Service headquarters to Turkey by three rescuers of the State Fire Service; He will be the driver, group leader and helicopter rescuer – operator. A tank for extinguishing air fires is called a Bambi bucket with a capacity of 1.5 thousand. liters and a larger tank with a capacity of 3 thousand. liters, as well as a repair kit for tanks and a repair kit for a helicopter in the event of a breakdown. PSP reports that this group, along with equipment, will provide on-site logistical and operational support.
In turn, the helicopter is scheduled to leave on Saturday at 4 am from Warsaw Babes Airport. “On board will be: eight policemen, including four pilots, four mechanical engineers and three rescuers from PSP – high-altitude rescuers, as well as a 1.5 thousand-liter Bambi-bucket tank. Planned arrival in Turkey – Antalya will take place on Saturday About 21 hours due to the need to stop for refueling ”- it was reported.
Turkish firefighters, supported by Croatia, Spain, Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, have been battling forest fires on Turkey’s southern coast for eight days. Greece also announced the aid, as diplomatic relations between Turkey soured.
“During today’s conversation with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, she assured us of our solidarity with the Turkish nation in the face of the fire wave and offered assistance on behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland and the Polish government. The details of the assistance are being agreed, and our conversation confirms the friendly relations between Poland and Turkey,” Polish diplomat Zbigniew Rau In a tweet on Twitter on Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pledged to help the Greeks. “Greece, like other southern European countries, is fighting the heat wave and the fires it caused. In an interview with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, Minister Zbigniew Rau expressed his appreciation for the actions of all those fighting against the race. He also emphasized Poland’s readiness to help “- we read on Twitter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
So far, eight deaths have been reported in Turkey and hundreds have been injured.
The exact causes of the fires are not known. With the fire burning in several places simultaneously, the Turkish authorities decided that it could not be ruled out that it was on purpose. Turkish authorities have often blamed Kurdish fighters for previous fires.
A heat wave in southern Europe, exacerbated by flows of hot air from North Africa, has caused fires to erupt on Mediterranean islands, including Italian Sicily and western Greece.
Greek firefighters battled Thursday to contain two major fires raging near Olympia in the Peloponnese and on Euboea in the Aegean as the country grappled with a record heat wave. More than 170 firefighters, about 50 trucks, six helicopters and firefighting planes have been deployed near the ancient archaeological site, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, according to AFP.
A similar number of firefighters also fought to contain a fire on the island of Evia, about 200 kilometers east of Athens. At least 150 homes on the island were destroyed, and the monastery and dozens of villages were besieged by fire. The Afghan News Agency said two more villages were evacuated on Thursday morning.
