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Germany condemns military coup attempt in Turkey

Xinhua, July 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

The German government on Saturday condemned a military coup attempt in Turkey overnight, expressing support for Turkey's elected government.

"The democratic order in Turkey must be respected. Everything must be done to protect human lives," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in a statement: "I condemned in the strongest terms any attempt to change the democratic order in Turkey by force."

"I call on all parties to respect the democratic institutions in Turkey and to respect the constitutional order," he said. "All those responsible must adhere to the democratic and constitutional rules and ensure that further bloodshed is avoided."

The German Foreign Ministry has updated its travel advises to Turkey, asking travelers to "exercise extreme caution" and not to leave homes and hotels in case of unclear situation.

At least 161 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in an attempted military coup overnight in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday morning that his government was in control. Endi