In the aftermath of Cyprus’ recent wildfires that swept through the mountainous areas in Limassol, Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou claimed Greece failed to assist with aerial means while only Israel provided aerial support.
CIReN fact-checked each claim and rendered its verdict.
The Claim
Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou claimed on her social media accounts of Facebook and Instagram on 26 of July that “Greece sent two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft (the most advanced type) to Albania in July to assist with wildfires.
“In contrast, it did not send a single Canadair CL-415 to Cyprus, which suffered devastating fires during the same month.
“The only country that provided aerial assistance to Cyprus was Israel, which deployed a C-130 aircraft and dropped 34 tons of fire retardant material.”
The Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network (CIReN) examined Latinopoulou’s statements and found false and misleading claims.
The Facts
The Limassol July wildfires were among the most devastating in Cyprus’ recent history. They ignited on July 23 near the village of Malia amid extreme heat and strong winds. The fires raged for about two days before being brought under control by July 25.
The blaze scorched approximately 120 square kilometers – equivalent to 1.3% of Cyprus’ total land area.
It claimed two lives, destroyed dozens of homes across multiple villages and severely damaged agricultural land and ecosystems.
Claim #1: Greece sent two Canadair CL-415 firefighting planes in July to extinguish fires in Albania
According to the EU Aid & Crisis Response team’s official Instagram account, the two Canadair firefighting planes sent to Albania were part of the fleet committed to the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), specifically through the RescEU initiative, which is fully financed and coordinated by the EU. Greece participated as part of a joint EU response alongside other Member States, including Italy. The operation was not a national initiative by Greece but part of an EU-led effort to assist Albania in combating wildfires. The two Canadair planes were already mobilized and operational in Albania one day before the wildfires in Cyprus.
Verdict: Misleading
Claim #2: [On the contrary Greece] did not send any Canadair CL-415 firefighting planes to Cyprus.
This claim is technically correct, as Greece did not send any firefighting aircraft to Cyprus during the July fires. However, 26 elite firefighters were deployed from the Greek Special Forestry Operations – commonly known as “forest commandos”– to assist Cyprus. This deployment was carried out under the framework of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Therefore, the support Greece provided on the ground was an EU-coordinated initiative not a unilateral action by the Greek government. This information is confirmed by the Civil Protection of Greece and corroborated by Cyprus Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis in a statement to CIReN.
Verdict: Misleading
Claim #3: The only state that assisted Cyprus with air assets was Israel with a C-130, dropping 34 tons of fire retardant.
Cyprus received air support from five different countries:
- United Kingdom (via the British Sovereign Bases): two Chinook helicopters
- Jordan: two Black Hawk helicopters and two Air Tractor aircraft that were at the Republic of Cyprus’ disposal as part of its primary means
- Egypt: two Chinook helicopters
- Lebanon: two Bell helicopters
- Israel: two C-130 aircraft, which dropped fire retardant on the night of Thursday, July 24, before returning to Israel
Jordan’s state news agency Petra News Agency reported the deployment of Jordanian helicopters, citing Royal directives authorizing the assistance. The Lebanese Army’s official website confirmed Lebanon’s participation with helicopter support. Forces News, a British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) outlet, covered the UK’s response with its assets based on the British Sovereign Bases in Cyprus. The British High Commission in Nicosia’ X account also announced UK’s assistance. Furthermore, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi, confirmed Egypt’s aerial assistance in public statements to local Cypriot media.
CIReN contacted Fire Service spokesperson Andreas Kettis, who corroborated the official statements.
Regarding further international assistance under the RescEU framework, Spain, Sweden, and Serbia had responded positively to Cyprus’s request by offering to deploy air assets. Despite an announcement on European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations’ website that two Canadair’s had been dispatched from Spain, according to Kettis, “the offers were ultimately not accepted because the assets were not immediately available”. The two Canadairs “would only have become available over the weekend,” he explained. By that time the fire had already been brought under control.
Verdict: False
The Verdict
Afroditi Latinopoulou’s claims contain a mix of misleading and false information. While it is true that Greece did not send firefighting aircraft to Cyprus, her claim that Greece sent two aircraft to Albania is misleading, as these planes were deployed under the EU’s RescEU program part of a coordinated EU response which included Italy as well.
She also omits the fact that Greece contributed 26 elite firefighters through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism following a request from Cyprus to the Emergency Response Coordination Centre.
Most notably, her assertion that Israel was the only country to provide aerial support to Cyprus is false. Aside from Israel, four countries – the UK, Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon- contributed air assets to the firefighting efforts.
Latinopoulou’s statements are misleading as they omit critical context and fail to reflect the international response that involved multiple countries.
This project is supported by the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF). The sole responsibility for any content supported by the European Media and Information Fund lies with the authors and it may not necessarily reflect the positions of the EMIF and the Fund Partners, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute.
