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No Maldivians hurt in Turkey after failed coup, says foreign ministry

Mohamed Visham
17 July 2016, MVT 11:53
/ AFP PHOTO / Bulent KILIC
Mohamed Visham
17 July 2016, MVT 11:53

Foreign Ministry on Saturday said no Maldivians were hurt in the attempted coup in Turkey that claimed at least 265 lives.

Foreign Ministry on Twitter said there had been no reports of any Maldivians hurt in the chaos A Turkish army faction backed by tanks and fighter jets launched a coup attempt overnight against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a bid top officials said they had foiled by Saturday.

Most of the Maldivians in Turkey are students, studying in various universities in the strategic NATO member of 80 million people.

The authorities blamed Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric who is Erdogan’s arch enemy, for the plot and lost no time in rounding up 2,839 soldiers over alleged involvement, amid global alarm over the extent of the retribution.

Turks woke up early Saturday to television pictures showing dozens of soldiers surrendering after the failed coup, some with their hands above their head, others forced to the ground in the streets.

“The situation is completely under control,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said outside his Ankara offices, flanked by Turkey’s top general who had himself been taken hostage by the plotters.

Describing the attempted coup as a “black stain” on Turkey’s democracy, Yildirim said 161 people had been killed in the night of violence and 1,440 wounded.

General Umit Dundar, who stood in as acting chief of staff while Hulusi Akar was being held by the rebels, said 104 coup plotters has been killed. Akar was later rescued in an operation that marked the end of the plotters’ hopes.

During a night where power hung in the balance, supporters of Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) defied the coup leaders’ orders of a curfew and flooded the streets to block the attempt to overthrow the regime.

Friday’s putsch bid began with rebel F-16 jets screaming low over rooftops in Ankara, soldiers and tanks taking to the streets and multiple explosions throughout the night in the capital as well as the biggest city Istanbul.

Parts of parliament were turned to rubble after being hit by air strikes from rebel jets.

Rebel troops also moved to block the two bridges across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, culminating in a stand-off with an angry crowd.

Turks have not seen such scenes since 1980 when the military led by general Kenan Evren ousted the government and many had no desire to revive these memories.

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