After 181 thousand hectares were burned it turns out that THK aircraft could be used

Four aircraft belonging to the Turkish Air Agency (THK) which were not used in forest fires last year because their capacities were referred to as “insufficient”, will be used this year.

Last year, eight people lost their lives when a territory with an area equal to 254 thousand football fields (181 thousand 393 hectares) burned down in fires that ravaged the southwest of Turkey.

The Decimated forest area in Mugla and Antalya between July 28 and August 12 alone was about 124 thousand hectares.

While Turkey was struggling with fires, THK aircraft used in the fight against fires until a few years ago were kept in the hangar on the grounds they were “out of maintenance and inadequate”.

President Tayyip Erdogan said at the time, “THK does not have any aircraft that can be easily used around here” regarding discussions whether THK aircraft should be used to extinguish forest fires.

Thanks to the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Department and the presidential defense industry (SSB) and the support of of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), maintenance of THK CL-215 amphibious firefighting aircraft was completed and as of next month, they will be ready for service to be used in eventual forest fires, in Turkey.