Turkey vows to heal wounds after country's biggest-ever forest fire

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said that new houses would be built and delivered to the victims of the fire by the end of 2008, and added the primary target of the authorities is the reforestation of burned woodlands.

Turkey's biggest-ever forest fire, which caused more than $1 billion of damage, destroyed about 2.5 million trees in an area covering 4,000-4,500 hectares of forest in Antalya in six days.

Two people were killed in the fire. It destroyed at least 60 homes, dozens of farm buildings, a school and a mosque in Manavgat and Serik towns. Six villages were evacuated.  

The government would purchase planes and helicopters which are able to fly at night, Erdogan told reporters in fire-hit Antalya, adding the definite cause of the fire is still not known.

Erdogan met earlier on Tuesday Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi in Antalya. No statement was made about the meeting.