Dirco confirms South Africans Stranded in Turkey are back home

Dirco will continue working with its Turkish embassy to monitor the situation in Turkey.

FILE: People run away on the Bosphorus bridge during clashes in Istanbul on 16 July, 2016. At least 60 people have been killed and 336 detained in a night of violence across Turkey sparked when elements in the military staged an attempted coup, a senior Turkish official said. Picture: AFP.

JOHANNESBURG – The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) has confirmed some South Africans who were stranded in Turkey are now back on home soil while some are still making arrangements to leave Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines has been forced to cancel nearly 200 domestic and international flights following Friday’s attempted coup.

While the airline announced at the weekend it had resumed regular operations, it says there’s a high level of congestion at Istanbul’s main international airport.

Dirco's Nelson Kgwete says some South Africans who were caught up in Friday's attempted coup have arrived safely home.

"The airport in Istanbul is now operational and some of the South Africans stranded there have left."

Kgwete says while there were no South African casualties they will continue working with the Turkish embassy to monitor any developments.

"The embassy has created a WhatsApp group for those who are remaining in Istanbul so that they are able to share information about flights."

Turkish Airlines says the cancellation of flights in and out of Istanbul’s main international airport will also affect flights today.