UAE residents relive horrifying moments in Turkey

Turkish residents trying to stop army tanks in Ankara

"I had a sleepless night because of the bomb and gun sounds from the people on the streets."

These are the words of Dubai-based Turkish expatriate, Seda Tutu,  who was caught amidst the violence, which broke out in Turkey on Friday evening.

At least 90 people were killed in violence that erupted on Friday after a faction of the armed forces attempted to seize power, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.

A further 1,154 people have been reported as wounded.

Speaking to Khaleej Times from Istanbul on Saturday, she said the situation appeared to be "back to normal", though admitted she was still hesitant to leave her accommodation.

"Even though (it has quietened down) it is not secure to go out and we are staying in."

Also staying in Turkey at the time of the protests was Nadra Mohammed, a UAE tourist. She has been  in the country since the third day of Eid, and said that her family did not face any dangers from the situation.

"We were at the place of the incident before anything happened and we left to our apartment at mall of Instanbul Towers by 9pm. Then suddenly we heard the news of a possible military coup, but we are not scared."

She added that they got in touch with the embassy, which formed a Whatsapp group to stay in touch with around 53 UAE visitors in Turkey and officials attending the World Heritage Convention.

"The ambassador and consul themselves are making sure we are fine. They are always answering our inquires without any objections or sense of irritation."

Mohammed and her family are expected to return to UAE on July 24.

The UAE Embassy in Ankara has urged UAE nationals wishing to travel to Turkey in the coming days to cancel their plans until the situation is made clear.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for Emirates Airlines sent the following statement to Khaleej Times.

"As a result of the unsettled situation in Turkey, Emirates flights EK123 and EK124 will be cancelled today, Saturday 16 July. At this time our main priority is the safety and security of passengers and staff. We will continue to closely monitor the situation before a decision is made regarding our later flights and those in to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport."

For University of Sharjah student, Futoon Sameer, Friday's breaking news was a scary realisation for her.

Last month she had planned to travel to Turkey to visit family, but due to the attack at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, she postponed her flight.

With her father paying around Dh10,000 for a Business Class ticket, she was ready to reschedule her flight but for warnings from friends and family.

Rattled by the news, she said she wouldn't be going to Turkey any time soon until everything settles down.

kelly@khaleejtimes.com

(With inputs from Sherouk Zakaria & Angel Tesoro)

• UAE
• Dubai