As part of the international support requested by Spain through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to tackle the severe wave of wildfires ravaging the provinces of Madrid and Ávila, Turkey has sent two fire-fighting aircraft to assist in the efforts to combat the fires, according to an announcement by the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, İbrahim Yumaklı.
The European Union Civil Protection Mechanism was activated by Spain due to the forest fires that are ravaging the very centre of the country and which are pushing Spain’s national response capacity to its limits; this system allows countries affected by disasters to request personnel, vehicles and aerial resources from participating states, including Turkey.
The Turkish Embassy in Madrid confirmed the dispatch of the two fire-fighting aircraft in response to the request for assistance sent by Spain, and in an official message posted on social media stated that Türkiye stands with its friend and ally, Spain, and conveyed its condolences to all those affected by the fires, wishing success to the firefighters and emergency teams deployed on the ground.
Minister İbrahim Yumaklı yesterday expressed his deep concern about the wildfires affecting several European countries in a message posted on his official account, emphasising that Turkey, as it has done in the past, continues to support countries in need of assistance. Yumaklı confirmed that the two aircraft had been deployed at Spain’s request and wished success both to their crews and to all the teams fighting the blazes: “Our hope is that no forest will burn and that no lives will be lost, no matter where in the world it happens. Because forests are the common heritage of all humanity”, he said in statements published by the Turkish news portal TRT Haber.
Spain declares national emergency
The aerial assistance sent by Ankara has been well received by the Spanish authorities, whilst the Spanish MEP and European Parliament rapporteur for Turkey, Ignacio Sánchez Amor, publicly thanked Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the support provided to Spain, highlighting the solidarity between the two countries.
Spain has declared a national emergency due to the forest fires – this is only the second time in its history that it has done so; the first time was due to the massive blackout of 2025 – after the flames spread across large areas, threatening numerous towns and villages. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, whilst air and ground crews sent by various European countries are already taking part in the fire-fighting operations.
The largest wildfire in Spain’s history
It is estimated that the forest fires – which are mainly affecting the provinces of Madrid and Ávila, but also Toledo – have already burned 77,000 hectares – an area equivalent to roughly the size of New York City – and have forced the evacuation or confinement of 90,000 people. The fire in Ávila, which has already ravaged some 50,000 hectares, is considered the largest and “most aggressive” in Spanish history.
Although the wildfires in Spain remain active this Monday, their advance is slowing down and, following several days of rapid spread, several fronts were brought under control on Sunday despite the high temperatures and the wind, although they remain active and the risk of them reigniting remains high.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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