Hellenic Aid

In the early hours of Tuesday, August 17, 1999 a powerful earthquake measuring more than seven on the Richter scale struck the northwest coast of Turkey, near Izmit, in the most prosperous and highly developed area of the country.
vinozito macedonia vmro gruevski florina lerin aegean ege
According to some estimates, more than 30,000 people died and more than 600,000 buildings were destroyed within 20 kilometres of the epicentre, while one third of the city of Gialova sank into the water.The earthquake had also destroyed the electric power network. Technicians tried hard to repair the power system, but this activity was halted by the refinery's general manager, who feared that short circuits might cause new fires.

Most refinery workers lived in the immediate area and many were dead or injured and, as a result, there were few people with knowledge of the refinery's operation or its layout available to help fight the fire. Only 200 of the refinery's 3,000 employees came to the site during the remainder of the day.

Thirty minutes after the earthquake, the distillation tower in the Turpas refinery (Turkey's largest refinery) collapsed, causing the outbreak of fire in four large petroleum storage tanks. Shortly after sending rescue teams (Greek firefighters and commandos) and humanitarian aid, Greece also sent aerial firefighting resources in response to Turkey's request.

The aerial firefighting mission was under the operational command of the Greek Fire Corps. The equipment consisted of one S-64 helicopter with internal tanks having a capacity of nine tons of water; one Bombardier 415 amphibious firefighting aircraft; and, one C-130 CA transport aircraft, which delivered technical equipment, foam, engineers and the support crews. This equipment arrived in Turkey in the morning of August 18, and remained until August 21, with the exception of the helicopter. The Bombardier 415 aircraft was one of Greece's two 415s, operated by the Hellenic Air Force, while the helicopter was leased and employed in forest firefighting duties in Greece.

Situation in Turkey
By the afternoon of August 18, when the Greek mission arrived at the refinery, the situation in Izmit was very grave. While people were dealing with the destruction caused by the earthquake, the two most pressing problems were continuing rescue efforts to reach those trapped in the ruins, and the fire in the refinery. Thick smoke from the fire covered the entire area, further complicating matters.

In the refinery, the earthquake had destroyed the water supply infrastructure. The refinery's mobile water pumps had been requested by the Crisis Management Committee and had been moved to the relief camps to support victims or to the disaster areas to support the rescue crews. In addition, seawater close to the refinery was unusable for firefighting as it was covered with oil.
The earthquake had also destroyed the electric power network. Technicians tried hard to repair the power system, but this activity was halted by the refinery's general manager, who feared that short circuits might cause new fires.

Most refinery workers lived in the immediate area and many were dead or injured and, as a result, there were few people with knowledge of the refinery's operation or its layout available to help fight the fire. Only 200 of the refinery's 3,000 employees came to the site during the remainder of the day.

By the end of the day of the earthquake, five petroleum storage tanks were on fire, with flames shooting more than 200 feet in the air. The fire plume, with high temperature gases and extreme radiant heat, was approaching a cluster of spherical tanks that could not be cooled. A Turkish S-2 Tracker aircraft operating in the area, and dropping three tons of retardant at two-hour intervals from a height of 500 feet had made no progress containing the fire.
In total, the Greek Bombardier 415 aircraft operated for 16 hours of direct firefighting, with eight sorties and 280 tons of foam dropped. The operation also established a number of 'firsts', including first foreign use of a Greek firefighting aircraft and first Greek military aircraft operating from a Turkish military airport. More importantly, the mission also marked the first operational use of firefighting aircraft against a refinery fire.
The operation in Turkey was an unqualified success and could not have been achieved without the bravery and professionalism of the Air Force officers and non-commissioned officers aboard the aircraft. The Greek contribution was noted in major Turkish newspapers -- and by the general manager of the Turpas refinery, who said: "The Greek firemen were the first to arrive and the most effective of all."

A country of 10 million people helped a country of 70 million people that had no firefighting planes.

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[aydintunca]

1 we have fireplanes.

2 ıt was just a positive help ım pretty sure ım just talkın about ur ''greek minds''

3thank for the help and stop turkısh propagandas from youtube.go and search how shame on u.

ınternet warriors

[mpampis210isback]

@aydintunca No you dont have . You rent from an Italian company.

[aydintunca]

wow u greek made a frıendly vıdeo.but nobody can deny ur hatıng vıdeos on websıte(especially youtube) ıf u call us '' mongol'' , ıf u dont respect to turkısh flag''like makıng hero solomon solomou''

and ıf u always try to talk about nominally genocide, take ur damn money and fuck off from turkısh homeland.ı just belıeve ın that, u always wanna take istanbul back(megali idea).dont make cute vıdeos turks dont eat ur games.ethiopian idiots

[mpampis210isback]

@aydintunca Actually its direct help to a country of 70 million people with no firefighting planes from a country of 10 million people with 40 firefighting planes.Easy as that.

[asd1000asd]

thanks for your aids... from Turkiye

[PogonAM]

Dont let hatred blind you..Greek and Turkish people are friends, only stupid politicians are the enemies..We shall help each other.

[petrosz12]

@aydintunca just because we are in the 21st century, dont think weve forgen about 1453,1922, and 1974, you mongol punk. We assisted you in 1999. What more did you want from our help? Turkish homeland=illegal stolen land from Greece. Their is no such thing as "turkish homeland". We are far more advanced then you filthy gypsy mongols. What good has turkey brought into this world except for kebab? We are the rays of sunshine, we made the world for you to live in, and hear you are crying.

[rebelakias]

me ton seismo sthn athina otan epese k h rikomeks arnhthikan na rthoun toyrkoi...alla telika kati egine k hrthan meta apo deka meres otan den toys xreiazomastan gt htan arga...gia thymhthyteto

[SuperOxton]

We cannot solve problems of today by using the same thought process we used creating them .

You are the only people alive today, everyone who created tradition,countries,rules,thos­e people are dead

Why dont you start your own world while youve got the chance.......

[mpampis210isback]

@nightfallserenade You asked help from Greece get over it.

[ntiank89]

kanete lathos..kai h tourkia esteile bohtheia stis katastrofikes purkagies.. we have to help each other...peace from greece

[kaulentia]

it is high time to realise turkish and greeks are so friendly that when they go to another country they seek each other.In Australia my parents helped Turks find a home and work and when I was on the streets in Manchester with my grandson and daughter it was Turks who took us in & gave us work. The people r good the politicians want us enemies to fear & vote for the gov to take care of us

[elasolezito]

turks will say thanks and they will do the same..... with some bombs :(

[makakas99]

peite oti thelete egw kserw mas xreiastikate kai eimastan ekei...etsi dixnoume ton xaraktira mas... kai pisteuw pws ama ginontousan antistrofa ta pragmata den tha eixame voithia apo tous tourkous...opws kai den eixame me tis katastrofikes pirkages pou ksespasan stin ellada...

[BitnikGr]

@interdictorN Don't tell it to us... go tell it in your next elections. Vote for those who won't spend more of your ppl money for military equipment. This is actually what you can do.

[aydintunca]

and again ım saying.dont think we r treator.

thanks for help.ı wısh we dont lıve ıt agaın

ı wısh greece or etc dont live this hell.

just be sure,ıf u live this,turkısh mılıtary s one of the biggest volunteer for helping to u.turks re not monsters as u think