Egypt expressed condolences on Saturday to the families of victims of Turkey's southern coast wildfires which have killed six people in four days. Firefighters have been battling blazes since Wednesday after the evacuation of dozens of villages and some hotels, as fire broke out through forests and some settlements. Most of the 98 fires that broke out in light of the strong winds and heat have been brought under control, according to Minister of Agriculture Bekir Pakdemirli on Saturday. The Turkish emergency and disaster authority has labelled neighbourhoods affected by the fire in five provinces as disaster zones. "Egypt has followed up with much sadness and sorrow the human losses caused by the outbreak of forest fires in different areas in Turkey," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry said Egypt wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. Egypt "affirms its solidarity with the brotherly Turkish people in the face of the implications of this natural disaster," the ministry added. Speaking from the town of Manavgat, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Turkish government would cover the rents for people affected by the fire and rebuild their homes. He said taxes, social security, and credit payments would be postponed for those affected and small businesses would be offered credit with zero interest. "We cannot do anything beyond wishing the mercy of God for the lives we have lost, but we can replace everything that was burned," he said. Erdogan said the number of planes fighting the fires increased from six to 13, including planes from Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, and that thousands of Turkish personnel as well as dozens of helicopters and drones were assisting the firefighting efforts.
