The forest fire continues to threaten the residential areas of Izmir third largest city in Turkey in terms of population, Turkish media reports on Saturday.

Helicopters and firefighting planes continue to battle the flames, with the damage being extensive.

In fact, according to SKAI’s correspondent in Istanbul, Manolis Kostidis, the two aircraft and one helicopter that were sent to Greece to help put out the big fire in Attica, were political issue in Turkey.

“We sent airplanes and helicopters to Greece and we don’t have any” typical opposition media reported, accusing the Erdogan government.

The Turkish government responded that Turkish air assets had been recalled, and were already assisting in the titanic task of extinguishing the fire.

As far as the fire front is concerned, in the morning the sky was full of gray smoke from the side of Karsiyaka, the area of ​​Izmir where the fire started, while the smell of smoke can be felt throughout the city, a man from the area, who asked not to be named, told AFP by phone.

One hundred residents from five areas were evacuated overnight from their homes, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Gerlikaya announced.

“The total area affected is about 16,000 acres. (…) At the moment, two airplanes and eleven helicopters are continuing the operations,” said the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ibrahim Yumakli, who assured that residents of urban areas should not “worry.”

The operation at the point where it started fire is hard because of “steep valleys”, explained the minister.

Sixteen apartment buildings were damaged by the fire and 78 people were injured, of which 29 needed to be hospitalized, the Turkish Ministry of Health announced. Six other fires are still raging in forest areas in other cities in Turkey, including Bolu (northwest) and Aydinio (west).