Turkey coup: flights resume, travel advisory remains

While flights to Istanbul have resumed, Canadians are being advised to avoid any non-essential travel to Turkey in the wake of this past weekend’s attempted coup.

The BBC reported that more than 6,000 members of Turkey’s judiciary and military have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the coup attempt; more than 8,000 police officers have also been suspended for their alleged role. More than 200 were killed in the coup attempt, including 145 civilians, while another 1,491 people were injured.

As of this morning (July 18), most flights at IST had resumed, with Turkish Airlines, the country’s national carrier, stating that all of its operations were back to normal following the upheaval. The interruption follows the recent terrorist attack at the airport, in which more than 40 people were killed on June 28.

The Canadian government, along with the U.S., has issued a travel advisory for Turkey against all non-essential travel, while urging Canadians still in the country to contact the embassy or consulate.