New Delhi: India today called upon all the sides in Turkey, which has witnessed violence after an attempted military coup, to support democracy and mandate of the ballot and avoid bloodshed even as it advised its nationals to stay indoors.
"We have been closely following the developments in #Turkey India calls upon all sides 2 support democracy & mandate of the ballot, & avoid bloodshed," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.
India also asked its nationals in the country to avoid public places and remain indoors until the situation becomes clearer in the backdrop of the attempted military coup.
"Indian nationals in Turkey : Pl avoid public places and stay indoors. Helpline : Ankara: +905303142203 Istanbul: +905305671095," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
42 people, 17 of them police and others civilian, in clashes in the Turkish capital of Ankara as groups inside the army attempted to bring down the government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, soon after he landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport earlier Saturday, said the resort town of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey was bombed as the attackers thought he "was still there".
He blamed the ongoing coup attempt in his country on the movement led by Turkey's Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen now living in the US state of Pennsylvania.
The Turkish leader also revealed that his secretary general was taken away.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the situation was largely under control and 130 people had so far been arrested, the BBC reported.
He has ordered the military to shoot down aircraft being used by coup plotters, the BBC reported.
