TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization has released a statement, calling on travel agencies not to organize tours to Turkey due to unsecure situation in the wake of the recent Turkish coup attempt.

The statement urges tour operators not to register and send travelers to tourist spots in Turkey until further notice, Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.

The organization with the support of Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Organization plans to return Iranian tourists trapped in airports across Turkey.

The Iranian Embassy in Ankara has advised Iranians to stay indoors and to avoid public places and conflict areas.

Around 1.6 million Iranian people visited Turkey in 2015, rising by 6.3 percent year on year, the president of Turkish Touristic Hotels and Investors Association, Timur Bayindir, has said.

SB/MG