Attarurk Airport Reopenend, Indonesians Can go Home: Ministry

Jakarta, (Antara) - About 60,000 Indonesian citizens trapped in Turkey following a coup attempt in that country can now go home or continue trips to other destinations after the reopening of Istanbul Attarturk Airport.

Director Director of Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Legal Body of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry   Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said on Sunday that the Turkish airport had returned to normal.

"The services at Istanbul Attarturk Airport have returned to normal," he said.

He said that Turkish Airlines TK 056 had flown to Jakarta and the Turkish plane servingo Kuala Lumpur has also flown to the Malaysian capital.

The Istambul Attarturk airport was reopened at about 1.30 p.m local time or 5.30 Indonesian Western Standard Time (WIB) on Saturday after a military coup attempt over the government of President Receep Thayyeb Erdogan on Friday (July 15).

Following the coup attempt in Turkey, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi has called on 60 Indonesian nationals stranded in Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, to remain calm.

Marsudi called a representative of the stranded Indonesians, mostly tourists, and told them to remain calm and stay indoors, said Saturday.

"The foreign minister has asked Indonesian nationals to not panic, remain calm and not to go out of the airport," Lalu Muhmmad stated.

He told them that the Indonesian consul general in Istanbul knew about their situation and would give necessary assistance when the airport is reopened.

Of the Indonesians stranded at the Istanbul airport, 48 are tourists joining travel tours.

A coup attempt by an army faction in Turkey has been put down, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, after thousands of people heeded a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and took to the streets, Aljazeera reported.

A no-fly zone had been declared over the capital, Ankara, with the blame falling on followers of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, Yildirim told broadcaster NTV.

"The coup attempt has been foiled," Turkey's national intelligence agency had earlier said in a statement.

Sections of the Turkish army had earlier officially declared a coup and martial law, saying that they had "taken control of the country" as Istanbul's main airport was closed and fighter jets were seen in the skies.(*)