Turkey condemns, 'deeply concerned' by coup in Myanmar

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey on Monday "strongly" condemned a coup in Myanmar announced by the Southeast Asian country's military early on Monday.

In a written statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry said the country was "deeply concerned" by the power grab as "Turkey opposes any kind of military intervention."

Urging the immediate release of all elected leaders and civilians who have reportedly been detained in putsch, it called for the new parliament, formed by the people's free will, to convene "as soon as possible" and quickly remove the obstacles placed in front of elected leaders and democratic institutions.

The ministry also expressed hope that these developments would not worsen the situation of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmar's military announced early Monday that it has seized power and would rule the country for at least a year after detaining the country's top leaders.

The military declared a state of emergency hours after detaining State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.