World powers urge ‘stability’ in TurkeyANKARA: World leaders urged “respect for democratic institutions” in key NATO member and European neighbour Turkey as parts of the military launched a coup attempt late Friday against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw violence erupt in Istanbul. The United States, Russia, NATO and the European Union appealed for stability, with US President Barack Obama calling on all parties in Turkey to back the “democratically-elected” government. “Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. But the country is a key NATO ally and part of the coalition fighting IS in neighbouring Syria and Iraq. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also said his country, which neighbours Turkey, was monitoring the situation with “great concern”.

Source: Manila Times July 16, 2016 01:30 UTC