Crisis Committee continues intensive efforts to extinguish the fire in the Mersinlik-Kantara region under the leadership of President Ersin Tatar
“President Tatar will inspect the fire affected region by air together with the Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Fuat Oktay, the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dursun Oğuz and military officials”
The Crisis Committee, under the leadership of President Ersin Tatar, is continuing intensive efforts aimed at extinguishing the catastrophic fire which has entered its third day in the Mersinlik-Kantara region.
Emergency units as well as organisations and members of the public continued with their efforts to bring the fire under control during the night, with air support re-initiated as from the morning hours, in accordance with the coordination provided by the Crisis Committee.
President Tatar said: “All relevant units are on duty and are continuing to put forward a great struggle with great self-sacrifice, to bring the fire under control.”
The planned visit of Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Fuat Oktay to the Presidency was delayed due to the forest fires in the Mersinlik-Kantara region. The President stated that Mr Oktay, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Mr Oğuz and military commanders will join him to inspect the fire-affected areas from a helicopter, that will take-off from Ercan airport.
He added that two fire-fighting helicopters are also participating in the efforts to extinguish the fire from motherland Türkiye.
"Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are probing the region”
President Tatar stated that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) dispatched from Türkiye are continuing to make air observations of the area most affected by the fire and added that the collated information is communicated back to a coordination centre in Ardahan. He explained that this information is then used for strategic planning purposes for air and ground response units.
“The fact that there have been strong winds which have fanned the fire has not helped,” the President said, adding: “Field ploughing work by tractors has helped prevent the fire from spreading to Ardahan and Topçuköy at 3am, where there were stronger winds fanning the fire. As a precaution, citizens of the village of Mersinlik were evacuated and placed in a hotel in Kaplıca.”
President Tatar stated that the Presidency had taken the initiative to form a Crisis Committee, and said that an area spanning 18km in Ardahan, Topçuköy, Mersinlik and Tatlısu regions were affected by the fire, based on data collected from the UAV’s.
The President thanked the Republic of Türkiye, the British Bases as well as the Greek Cypriot Side for the air support being provided.
According to the information received from the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dursun Oğuz, President Tatar noted that an estimated 600,000 saplings will be needed for the rehabilitation of the area affected by the fire.
President Tatar has been attending the fire scene daily and is participating in the work of the coordination centre, made up of relevant units, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, District Officer of İskele, firefighters, Civil Defence Organisation, personnel and military officials.
“Unfortunately, an area of 12,000 dönüms has been turned to ashes due to this catastrophic fire,” the President said adding: “However, it is our consolation that there has been no loss of human life, although there have been some injured people. Our State is here with all its means, and we will do whatever is necessary."
Emergency units as well as organisations and members of the public continued with their efforts to bring the fire under control during the night, with air support re-initiated as from the morning hours, in accordance with the coordination provided by the Crisis Committee.
President Tatar said: “All relevant units are on duty and are continuing to put forward a great struggle with great self-sacrifice, to bring the fire under control.”
The planned visit of Vice President of the Republic of Türkiye Fuat Oktay to the Presidency was delayed due to the forest fires in the Mersinlik-Kantara region. The President stated that Mr Oktay, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Mr Oğuz and military commanders will join him to inspect the fire-affected areas from a helicopter, that will take-off from Ercan airport.
He added that two fire-fighting helicopters are also participating in the efforts to extinguish the fire from motherland Türkiye.
"Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are probing the region”
President Tatar stated that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) dispatched from Türkiye are continuing to make air observations of the area most affected by the fire and added that the collated information is communicated back to a coordination centre in Ardahan. He explained that this information is then used for strategic planning purposes for air and ground response units.
“The fact that there have been strong winds which have fanned the fire has not helped,” the President said, adding: “Field ploughing work by tractors has helped prevent the fire from spreading to Ardahan and Topçuköy at 3am, where there were stronger winds fanning the fire. As a precaution, citizens of the village of Mersinlik were evacuated and placed in a hotel in Kaplıca.”
President Tatar stated that the Presidency had taken the initiative to form a Crisis Committee, and said that an area spanning 18km in Ardahan, Topçuköy, Mersinlik and Tatlısu regions were affected by the fire, based on data collected from the UAV’s.
The President thanked the Republic of Türkiye, the British Bases as well as the Greek Cypriot Side for the air support being provided.
According to the information received from the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dursun Oğuz, President Tatar noted that an estimated 600,000 saplings will be needed for the rehabilitation of the area affected by the fire.
President Tatar has been attending the fire scene daily and is participating in the work of the coordination centre, made up of relevant units, Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, District Officer of İskele, firefighters, Civil Defence Organisation, personnel and military officials.
“Unfortunately, an area of 12,000 dönüms has been turned to ashes due to this catastrophic fire,” the President said adding: “However, it is our consolation that there has been no loss of human life, although there have been some injured people. Our State is here with all its means, and we will do whatever is necessary."