Iraq says coup attempt in Turkey "internal affairs"

The Iraqi government on Saturday said the coup attempt is Turkey's "internal affairs," and expressed its hope that it would cause no bloodshed, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

"What is happening is Turkey's internal affairs that we are following closely, and we hope that it would not lead to bloodletting," the statement said.

"We emphasize the need to respect the democratic contexts and save Turkey's state institutions, and its relations with the international community and neighboring countries," the statement added.

The ministry also said the Iraqi embassy in Ankara called on its nationals in Turkey to stay indoors and be cautious. The embassy also dedicated phone numbers for Iraqi nationals to call in case of any emergency, according to the statement.

The statement came in the wake of a failed coup attempt occurred on Friday night, which was confronted by popular demonstrations and sporadic clashes with Turkish forces supporting the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Endit