Iran Resumes Flights to Turkey

Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization, has been quoted by the media as saying that at least 12 empty planes had been sent by Iran to Turkey on Saturday to repatriate thousands of Iranians.

Officials at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) said on Saturday that no plane will fly from Iran to Turkey after news of a coup in the country came out.

Accordingly, Kurosh Fattahi, the deputy director of the IKIA, told reporters that a review of the decision about flights to Turkey will be made after the security situation in the country is clarified.

Iran earlier said it was deeply concerned about the crisis in Turkey after reports of an attempted military coup there.

“Stability, democracy and safety of Turkish people are paramount. Unity and prudence are imperative,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on his Twitter account.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry advised Iranian tourists in Turkey to stay indoors and refrain from visiting busy places or diplomatic missions.

Turkish cities attract tens of thousands of Iranians throughout the year. Officials in Ankara have already emphasized that Iranian tourists are among the top shopping groups in the country.

Nevertheless, very few Iranians have so far lost their lives in recent terrorist attacks in Turkey. Last month, an Iranian lost his life when three bombers attacked Istanbul’s main international airport.