Iran has suspended all flights to Turkey after a coup attempt in the neighboring country, an official at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) says.
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The deputy director of the IKIA said on Saturday a review of the decision about flights to Turkey will be made after the security situation in the country is clarified.
“All flights from this airport (IKIA) to Turkey have been suspended until further notice in order to ensure the safety of passengers,” Kurosh Fattati told the official IRNA news agency.
Flights to other destinations were operating as scheduled, the official said, adding passengers to Turkey could contact their travel agencies for information about the situation.
Iran earlier said it was deeply concerned about the crisis in Turkey after reports of an attempted military coup there.
"Stability, democracy and safety of Turkish people are paramount. Unity and prudence are imperative," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on his Twitter account.
"All Iranian ground and aerial borders are under full control, and comprehensive surveillance is in force in the border areas," Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said.
Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi meanwhile said Iran is closely monitoring developments in Turkey.
“Our military, security, and intelligence forces have been put on alert to the necessary level. Our borders are completely under control,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry advised Iranian tourists in Turkey to stay indoors and refrain from visiting busy places or diplomatic missions. Turkish cities attract tens of thousands of Iranians throughout the year.
Last month, an Iranian lost his life when three bombers attacked Istanbul’s main international airport.
According to the state-run news agency Anadolu, at least 90 people were killed and 1,154 others wounded in the Friday coup attempt.
Nearly 200 unarmed soldiers at the Turkish military headquarters have meanwhile surrendered, an official said, adding that special troops were currently securing the complex.
The coup attempt plunged Turkey into hours of chaos unseen in decades during which soldiers and tanks took to the streets late on Friday and multiple explosions rang out throughout the night in Ankara and Istanbul.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ended uncertainty over his whereabouts, flying into Istanbul airport in the early hours on Saturday after news emerged that the most serious challenge to his 13 years of rule had been thwarted.
