Turkey coup: Tanzanians unharmed
President Recep Erdogan
What you need to know:
The Turkish envoy to Tanzania says there is a possibility of some members of the group behind the coup to be operating in the country under the disguise of charity organisations
Dar es Salaam. The Turkish embassy has assured Tanzanians that their fellow citizens living in Turkey are safe despite the last Friday coup attempt in cities of Ankara and Istanbul.
The attack, which the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) staged to overthrow the incumbent government did not succeed, thanks to soldiers loyal to the government for overcoming them, the Turkish envoy to Tanzania, Ms Yasemin Eralp, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
However, she asked the government, as she assured Tanzania that everything was under control in Turkey, to be careful, saying there was a possibility of some members of the group behind the coup to be operating in the country under the disguise of charity organisations.
“Immediately after the coup attempt, the Turkish government detained over 10,000 suspected masterminds, including top army officials, judges, prosecutors and academicians from higher learning institutions,” she said.
According to the envoy, struggles by the group started about three years ago. “But people should not be afraid anymore because the situation has been controlled. Those who want to visit Turkey should not hesitate to do that,” she said, adding: “There is no travel restriction as international flights continue normally even after the government declared a three-month state of emergency with effect from Thursday.”
According to her, the group, which has spread to many countries, Tanzania included, engage in various social activities. However, she could not divulge the details. Over 100 people were killed and other 1,491 wounded in the Friday’s coup attempt in Turkey’s Istanbul and Ankara cities. The perpetrators bombed Parliament building and the Office of President Recep Erdogan.
