Israel, Hamas respond to attempted Turkish coup
Countries from around the world, NATO, Hamas, and even Israel have expressed their congratulations to the Turkish government for putting down an attempted coup on Friday night; Israeli Foreign Ministry: 'Israel respects the democratic process in Turkey.'
The message out of Jerusalem also said that it expects that the reconciliation process between the two countries will continue.
Other countries and governments added their messages of support for the Turkish government.
New British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to underline support for Turkey's "democratic elected government and institutions" in the wake of the overnight coup attempt.
The Foreign Office is advising Britons in Turkey to stay indoors, avoid public places, especially demonstrations, and remain vigilant.
It says "the situation now appears quieter in Istanbul, and the bridges across the Bosphorus are reopening. But there are reports of tank fire and small arms fire in Ankara."
British Airways says it is canceling all flights to and from Turkey Saturday, but budget airline easyJet says it plans to runs its scheduled flights, largely to Turkish resort towns. The airline says the schedule "will be kept under continuous review."
Meanwhile, Spain's acting Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo condemned the attempted coup, telling Spanish national television that his government completely supports the Turkish government headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He says "without a doubt we support respecting the constitution and democratically elected institutions, and we condemn all coups without reservation."
Garcia Margallo spoke by telephone from Mongolia, where he is attending the ASEM Asia-Europe Meeting.
The Gulf nation of Qatar, which has close ties to Erdogan's government, was also quick to condemn the military coup attempt.
It called the attempted coup a "violation of the constitutional legitimacy" in Turkey and said it supports all legal measures the government takes to maintain security and stability.
The official Qatar News Agency said the ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has spoken with Erdogan by phone to express Qatar's support.
Qatar and Turkey have grown increasingly close in recent years, and share similar stances on their support for Syrian rebel groups and the Muslim Brotherhood. The two countries agreed last year to establish a Turkish military base in Qatar.
Additionally, NATO's chief says all alliance personnel and military units in Turkey are "safe and secure" following the attempted coup.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a Twitter post that he had spoken to NATO's supreme commander, US Army Gen. Curtis M. Scapparrotti, who "confirms that all NATO personnel and units in Turkey are safe and secure."
The alliance chief also tweeted that he welcomed "the strong support shown by the people and all political parties to democracy and to the democratically elected gov of Turkey."
The exiled Syrian opposition congratulated the Turkish people for halting the attempted military coup.
The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition said Turkey has protected its democratic institutions "in the face of dark and desperate attempts that sought to take control of the popular will."
It says the Turkish people value democracy and "will not let a group of putschists take it away in a desperate attempt to restore military rule."
Turkey has been one of the main backers of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad, and is hosting some 2.7 million Syrian refugees.
Celebratory gunfire broke out across Damascus in the early hours of the attempted coup,. The government and its supporters view the rebels as terrorists and consider Turkey to be one of their chief sponsors.
Furthermore, terror group Hamas, which receives patronage from Turkey, congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for quashing a "vicious" plot to overthrow him.
The Turkish leader has been a staunch supporter of Hamas and a fierce critic of Israel. Hamas says it remembers Turkey's "wise leadership in supporting the Palestinian people and their cause" and working to lift the blockade on Gaza, the coastal territory ruled by the group.
Hamas supporters took to the streets in several places across the Gaza Strip to celebrate the failure of the coup, raising Turkish flags and posters bearing Erdogan's image.
