Azerbaijan, Türkiye discuss enhancing co-op on firefighting PHOTO

Azerbaijani Emergencies Minister Kamaladdin Heydarov, who is on a visit to Türkiye, has met with Vahit Kirisci, the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

The ministers noted that thanks to the farsightedness and political determination of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, relations between the two fraternal countries have risen to the level of strategic alliance, Caliber.Az reports.

The importance of expansion of ties between the two government bodies in the fight against forest fires was also noted at the meeting.

Heydarov and Kirisci shared views on tackling wildfires and discussed the introduction of rapid alert systems so as to be protected against wildfires.

Azerbaijan is one of the countries that provided Türkiye with assistance to fight the wildfires that sparked in the summer of 2021. On July 30, 2021, an amphibious plane, a chopper, 93 fire trucks, special firefighting equipment, an ambulance and 510 firefighters of the Emergencies Ministry of Azerbaijan were sent to the fraternal country to extinguish massive forest fires. The ministry’s amphibious plane was supporting the operations against the wildfires that had been raging across tens of Turkish provinces since July 28, 2021.

Azerbaijani firefighters are deployed mainly in the Mughla and Denizli regions. A brigade from Azerbaijan teamed up with the Turkish firemen to extinguish the fire in the Kamarkoy thermal power plant in Mughla. The operation prevented the adjacent Yenikoy thermal power station from being affected by the forest fires.  

Given the strategic role of both Kamarkoy and Yenikoy thermal power plants in Mughla’s power supply, the facilities were taken under protection by the Azerbaijani firefighters. Deputy Minister of Azerbaijan’s Emergencies Ministry, Lt-Gen Etibar Mirzayev deliberated with local officials the measures that would ensure reliable fire protection of the stations.