His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 

KUWAIT: Kuwait's leaders yesterday congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his success in foiling a bid to overthrow his leadership and condemned any moves to jeopardize the nation's democracy, as authorities scrambled into action to facilitate the speedy and safe return of Kuwaiti citizens by air.

HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a cable to President Erdogan congratulating him on restoring the legitimacy and democracy of the Turkish government in the wake of the upheaval in the country, applauding him for safeguarding the nation's constitutional achievements that were instrumental in the turmoil in averting the Turkish people much agony and bloodshed. The Amir noted in his cable the support Turkey garnered from numerous countries in restoring peace and order to the nation.

He expressed his heartfelt condolences to families of the deceased while wishing speedy recovery to the injured, and aspiring at the same time for Turkey to have much security, stability and prosperity. HH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah also sent similar cables to Erdogan.

Meanwhile, top Kuwaiti lawmaker and the National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem expressed identical sentiments to his Turkish counterpart Ismail Kahraman on the restoration of stability in Turkey after the failed military coup. "We denounce all violations of legitimacy and democracy," Ghanem said in a cable sent to Kahraman, applauding the people of Turkey for safeguarding democracy.

Moreover, the speaker said the world anxiously watched the events unfold in Turkey, as the will of the Turkish people has overcome all the agony and bloodshed to restore stability in the country. He also conveyed his deepest condolences for the loss of life, adding that Kuwait stands in solidarity with Ankara. The Kuwaiti leaders expressed solidarity with Erdogan's success on aborting the coup d'etat shortly after the Turkish president emerged from the mayhem, announcing that the attempt to overthrow the elected leadership has been foiled, vowing to punish the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, in Kuwait, the country whose many citizens favor Turkey as their summer holiday destination, authorities scrambled into action to facilitate the speedy return of the citizens there. A Kuwaiti charter flight, that was to leave Turkey later yesterday, had been arranged to transport Kuwaiti citizens back home in the wake of the turbulent events, announced a statement by the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry.

The Kuwaiti charter flight will depart from Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul, in concert with efforts by the ministry in conjunction with the Kuwait embassy in Ankara and the Kuwait consulate in Istanbul. It added all Kuwaiti citizens willing to be onboard that flight from Istanbul should make their wishes known to the Kuwaiti embassy and the consulate in Turkey.

As gunfire ran out across the Turkish cities, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic mission in Turkey urged Kuwaitis to abstain from venturing out. In a statement, the ministry urged the citizens to contact the embassy in Ankara and the general consulate in Istanbul. The statement also advised nationals planning to travel to Turkey to postpone such plans for their safety.

Kuwait's Consul General in Istanbul Mohammad Fahd Al-Mohammad urged Kuwaitis in all Turkish cities to stay indoors for their safety. In statements to KUNA, Mohammad said the embassy and the consulate have formed a special team to follow up on the situation and receive calls for help from all Kuwaitis.

Meanwhile, Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) announced suspending flights to Istanbul until further notice. Due to political developments in Turkey, Kuwait Airways flights from and to Ataturk International Airport are suspended, said the national carrier in a press release. KAC further noted that its crews in Turkey are currently coordinating with Kuwait's embassy in Ankara and the Kuwaiti foreign ministry to secure their safety. - KUNA