The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has extended an offer of assistance to the Greek Cypriot administration as wildfires rage across villages in Limassol.
TRNC President Ersin Tatar announced in a written statement on Wednesday that his administration had conveyed its willingness to assist through the United Nations Peacekeeping officials on the island.
He said they are closely following the situation and stand ready to provide help.
A fast-moving wildfire near the southern Cypriot city of Limassol has killed at least two people and forced widespread evacuations, local media said on Thursday.
The blaze broke out on Wednesday in a mountainous village about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Limassol and quickly spread, fanned by strong winds.
“We are all saddened by the fact that many settlements have had to be evacuated due to the forest fire that broke out today in villages of Limassol and remains uncontrolled,” Tatar said.
Highlighting the urgency of the disaster and the shared risk to human life and the environment, Tatar stressed that the offer of support is rooted in humanitarian responsibility.
“Our offer of support and assistance for firefighting has been delivered to the U.N.,” he said. “My special representative and technical committees coordinator has also contacted their Greek counterparts directly, informing them that equipment, personnel and technical support can be provided through the relevant technical committee mechanism if needed. They have stated that our teams are on standby.”
Tatar said he hopes that the fires will soon be brought under control and extended his best wishes to those affected.
The fire forced the evacuation of 14 villages along a 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) stretch of mountainous terrain.
Media reports showed gutted homes smoldering as flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. In the village of Lofou, at least 20 homes were destroyed as fires threatened a group of stranded evacuees whose police buses had to turn back as the fire front shifted to block their exit.
Images broadcast on media late Wednesday showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky.
Police continued to block road access to the fire-afflicted communities as area residents vented against what they called a disorganized response to the huge fire.
Southern areas on the island have been on high alert for fires this summer after three consecutive arid winters.
Cyprus has been split between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities since 1974, when a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence in Cyprus. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983.
Greek Cypriots control the southern part of the island and are recognized by the international community as a state, despite protests from Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye. The TRNC is located in the northern part of the island and is recognized only by Türkiye.
It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.
The Greek Cypriot administration entered the EU in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots single-handedly blocked a U.N. plan to end the longstanding dispute
