President Nicos Anastasiades stressed Thursday the need to be studies by experts, regarding actions for prevention, and dealing with emergencies, replying to questions on the devastating fires in Troodos area. He also said that there will be reforms to the whole system if found to be necessary.
The President said that “what we are obliged to do is to assign experts to give us their expertise regarding actions for prevention and addressing emergencies, as well as the means and generally how to cope with them.”
As he said, the relevant departments will submit reports and these reports will indicate whether there were gaps, and how to create an even safer system to manage similar situations.
Saying that he didn`t think that there was lack of coordination, he added that the priorities of the fire-fighting forces was to safeguard human life, human property and the communities. He also pointed-out, that because of the weather conditions and the inaccessibility of the areas where ground forces acted, it was not possible to have the expected results and for that reason the Government intervene effectively so as to ensure aerial firefighting.
At the same time he said there will be reforms to the whole system if found to be necessary, depending on the reports of the relevant services and if they found any gaps.
Asked about the Turkish offer to provide assistance in putting out forest fires, in the Troodos mountains, President Anastasiades said that there was no conditions.
“There was acceptance of the Turkish aid, provided of course that it would be part of a system of coordination, including all the other countries involved, so as to avoid the risk of accidents,” he said.
He added that what the Government had said was that Turkey had to respect the terms of the other countries, the EU, Israel, Greece, Italy, France and the UK who send fire-fighting aircraft in Cyprus.
“There is no way for someone to act independently from the rest of the forces and to refuel, eventually, in illegal airports”, the President noted.
He added, however, that he believes that the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, who conveyed the offer, “has acted out of pure interest for our common homeland”.
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus` northern part since they invaded in 1974, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and refuses to normalise its relations with Nicosia, in spite of repeated calls by the EU to do so. Turkey recognises the self-styled Turkish Cypriot regime, unilaterally declared by the Turkish Cypriots in November 1983 in the occupied areas.
After a devastating fire broke out in various forest parts, in the Solea area, last Sunday, the Turkish Minster of Forestry Veysel Eroğlu stated Ankara`s readiness to assist with two helicopters and a plane, following instructions by the country`s Prime Minister.
In reply, Nicosia said it would accept the offer provided this would be placed under the operational planning, administered by the state, as is the case with all other international assistance.
Akinci has contacted President Anastasiades on the matter. The President expressed his gratitude to Akinci and conveyed to him his position that any assistance from Turkey must operate as part of the wider operational planning which includes aircraft from Israel, Greece, the UK, France, Italy and the EU.
Turkey said it could not accept any term under which its aircraft would land and take off from an airport in the Republic of Cyprus. All other fire-fighting aircraft from abroad operate under the instructions of and in line with the Cypriot authorities.