Croatian Foreign Minister reacts to latest events in Turkey.
Croatia supports the elected government in Ankara and emphasizes the importance of respect for constitutional order and the rule of law, said Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miro Kovač on Saturday, talking about the attempted military coup in Turkey, adding that Croatian citizens who live or have found themselves in the country were well and safe, reports Index.hr on July 16, 2016.
“Croatia supports the legitimate and democratically elected representatives of the state authorities and Turkish institutions, and stresses the importance of respect for constitutional order and the rule of law,” said Kovač. The Foreign Minister told reporters that he talked with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and Turkish Ambassador to Croatia Ahmet Tuta, and conveyed his support for legitimate Turkish authorities. “Turkey is our important partner, a strategic partner in NATO and in the area of Southeast Europe, where Turkey is engaged in the stabilization efforts”, added Kovač.
Croatian citizens who live or have found themselves in Turkey, continued the minister, were “safe and not in danger”. “We will continue to take care of our citizens. We are doing this through the Croatian Embassy in Ankara and the Consulate General in Istanbul. We have also established a crisis unit in the Ministry which is taking care of our citizens and is informing us about what is happening in Turkey”, said the Minister.
He confirmed that a number of Croatian citizens had contacted the embassy and consulate and that for now, according to information, “there is no indication that someone is in danger or in an unsafe place”. According to Minister Kovač, the Ministry will continue to inform the public on further developments and coordinate activities with partners in the European Union and NATO.
Croatian citizens are advised not to travel to Turkey at this moment, although the latest news is that the situation was calming down and that the public order would be established very quickly.
