Cyprus' rival Turkey offers help to battle huge forest fire
Turkey on Tuesday offered aircraft to help Cyprus battle a huge forest fire which is raging out of control and has killed two firefighters.
The offer is seen as a rare outreach of 'disaster diplomacy' by Turkey which doesn't recognize ethnically divided Cyprus as a state. It comes amid ongoing talks that aim to reunify the island.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said he accepts the offer for assistance as long as it allows for the Turkish aircraft to be directed by the Cypriot government alongside aircraft from other assisting nations.
