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Turkey evacuates more nationals, sends aid to Kyrgyzstan

ISTANBUL - Agence France-Presse | 6/15/2010 12:00:00 AM |

Turkey on Tuesday evacuated about 150 of its nationals from conflict-torn Kyrgyzstan and plans to send another plane to repatriate more, media reports said.

Turkey on Tuesday evacuated about 150 of its nationals from conflict-torn Kyrgyzstan and plans to send another plane to repatriate more, media reports said.

A Turkish Airlines plane carrying 151 Turks – mostly women and children from Kyrgyzstan’s southern city of Osh, where most of the violence occurred – landed in Istanbul on Tuesday, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Ankara plans to send a second plane to evacuate Turkish citizens from the city of Jalal-Abad, the CNN-Türk news channel said.

The Turkish Red Crescent also sent 15 tons of humanitarian aid to Kyrgyzstan to assist with the refugee crisis triggered by the ethnic clashes.

A cargo plane carrying food, medical equipment and blankets left Istanbul on Tuesday destined for Osh, Anatolia said.

Tens of thousands of refugees have fled into Uzbekistan, with some estimates putting their number at up to 100,000.