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Moscow ‘deeply concerned’ about situation in Turkey: Kremlin

Moscow is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Turkey, the Kremlin said Saturday, after Turkish troops took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul and a military group declared a coup.

“Moscow is deeply concerned about the news coming from Turkey,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that President Vladimir Putin was being constantly informed of new developments by the Russian foreign ministry and intelligence services.

“At the moment the quantity of information makes it impossible to clearly define what is happening in the country,” Peskov said.

“The only priority is to ensure the safety of Russian state institutions and Russian citizens on the territory of Turkey.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had earlier called on Turkey to avoid all “bloodshed” and insisted that the problems in the country be resolved “in accordance with the constitution.”

Turkish troops launched a coup Friday night, with soldiers taking to the streets as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed the putschists would pay a “very heavy price”.

Erdogan, speaking from what a presidential source said was a secure location, urged the population to resist the coup.