The foreign ministry reports that Taiwanese nationals in Turkey remain safe after an attempted coup rocked the country Friday night. The ministry said Saturday morning that it had not received any reports of any Taiwanese injuries or deaths.
The foreign ministry also issued a red travel warning for Turkey on Saturday, the highest in its four-tiered system of travel alerts. The warning means that the foreign ministry is urging Taiwanese nationals to avoid all travel to Turkey. The ministry urges those already in Turkey, including more than 600 Taiwanese in the country as part of tour groups, to exercise caution and avoid crowds. It has also contacted Taiwanese residents in Turkey through the Taiwanese representative office in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
An EVA Airlines flight headed for Istanbul returned to Taoyuan Airport, arriving Saturday morning according to the airline. Turkey’s main international airport in Istanbul has reopened, but with many flights cancelled, 101 Taiwanese tourists attempting to leave the country have had to be given temporary accommodation.