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• Urgent: UN chief calls for calm following coup attempt in Turkey  • U.S. tells citizens in Turkey not to go to U.S. Embassy amid "uprising"  • 1st LD: Iran expresses concerns over Turkey's coup attempt  • Urgent: Obama urges all parties in Turkey to show restraint, avoid violence  • Urgent: World Heritage Committee suspends session in Istanbul amid reports of coup attempt  • 2nd LD: Turkish president safe in "unsuccessful" coup attempt: website statement  • UN agencies scale up aid in Nigeria  • 7th LD: Turkish military statement says "seized power;" president urges people to protect democracy  • Mexican researchers invent "edible coating" to make food last longer  • Canadian stocks slip as crude fluctuates amid France attack  
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2nd LD: Iran expresses concerns over Turkey's coup attempt

Xinhua, July 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, early Saturday expressed concerns over the coup attempt in Turkey.

"Deeply concerned about the crisis in Turkey. Stability, democracy and safety of Turkish people are paramount," Zarif said.

The Iranian foreign minister urged solidarity among the Turkish people, saying that "unity and prudence are imperative" for his neighboring country in the face of regional perils.

Also on Saturday, Secretary of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said that "We are cognizant about the current situation in Turkey, and we consider instability in Turkey as the instability of our own country," Tasnim news agency reported.

"All the ground and aerial borders of Iran is under full control, and comprehensive surveillance is underway in the border areas," Shamkhani was quoted as saying.

A military statement on Turkish media said Friday the armed forces have fully seized power in the country but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early Saturday the coup attempt has failed, urging people to protect democracy. Endit