By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 24 July 2014:
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly advised all its citizens . . .[restrict]still remaining in Libya to leave the country. It is also looking into the possibility of closing its embassy in Tripoli.
In a statement yesterday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry advised all its citizens to leave. Those in the west of the country should travel to Tunisia, it said. The Turkish embassy had, it said, set up a help line for its citizens to aid them to do so.
It has also advised against travel to the country and asked all citizens to exercise maximum care while leaving Libya.
In a TV interview today, the country’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed that several hunted Turks were being helped to leave, adding that he was now conferring closing the embassy. “The measure of evacuating the embassy may be considered,” he said.
He also warned that deteriorating situation in Libya could create a “domino effect” in the region.
According to Turkish embassy officials, the precise number of Turks in Libya is unknown but is estimated around 5,000, most of whom are in the west of the country. Before the revolution the figure was put at 20,000.
The Turkish Consulate-General in Benghazi has already closed.
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