Türkiye sends firefighting aircraft to Greece to battle massive wildfire

Two firefighting planes and a helicopter sent by Türkiye to help Greece fight a massive wildfire have landed at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, diplomatic sources have said.

Earlier, Türkiye offered assistance to Greece in containing a wildfire that started in the Varnavas area near the Greek capital, Athens and spread to other parts of the Attica region due to high winds.

Sources revealed on Tuesday that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan informed Athens of Ankara's readiness to assist Greece as part of good neighborly relations.

Türkiye offered assistance to Greece because no major incidents occurred in the country this summer

Greece's help during deadly quakes in Türkiye

Greece was among the first countries to send help to Türkiye, deploying five planes with more than 7,500 blankets, 1,500 beds and 500 tents for displaced quake victims.

Amid the diplomatic tensions between Ankara and Athens, the devastating earthquake has prompted both nations to revisit their ties with calls for a new era of diplomacy.

At least 53,537 people were killed and over 107,000 others wounded after the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes struck southern Türkiye within the space of fewer than 10 hours on February 6, affecting around 13 million people.