Turkey prepares for possible evacuation of its citizens from Egypt

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish embassy in Cairo has started preparations for a possible evacuation of Turkish citizens from Egypt, as the North African country is on the verge of a civil war following the ouster of Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, by the armed forces, Today's Zaman reported.

Official sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry have said that Turkish foreign missions will be prepared to take measures like evacuation in such “critical conditions” as those in Egypt. They said that the embassy in Cairo has started to collect information on how many Turkish citizens are in Egypt and where they are located, although an evacuation is not yet under way.

The conflict in Egypt has escalated as clashes took place between army troops and pro-Morsi demonstrators in Cairo, leaving at least 42 people dead and wounding hundreds.

The recent events in Egypt have also dealt a blow to Turkish exports to the Middle East, as trade between Turkey and Egypt faces a deadlock due to current situation. Some 450 Turkish lorries carrying cargo from Turkey to Gulf countries via Egypt are currently stranded at the ports of İskenderun and Mersin due to tight security measures imposed by the Egyptian military at customs gates. Around 500 other Turkish lorries also have been held up in Saudi Arabia as they cannot cross the Egyptian border as easily as before.