UPDATE - Turkey brings back nationals from across Europe

UPDATES DECK, HEADLINE, DETAILS FROM SERBIA

By Talha Ozturk and Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey evacuated 625 of its nationals Wednesday from European countries amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A specially arranged Turkish Airlines flight carrying 181 Turks left Moscow for Turkey.

Murat Bilgis told Anadolu Agency he came to Russia to establish a business but was stuck after the coronavirus began to spread around the world.

Bilgis said he was very careful and followed instructions of Russian authorities throughout his stay and did not leave his house except for when he shopped for groceries.

He thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his efforts to bring Turkish citizens back before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr, the celebration after the fasting month.

Bilgis’ plane arrived in southern province of Adana, and passengers will spend 14 days in quarantine at a dormitory called Fevzi Cakmak.

At the instruction of Erdogan and in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, Turkey will bring back nearly 25,000 citizens before Ramadan begins later this week.

Turkey also brought home 270 citizens from North Macedonia with Ambassador to Skopje Hasan Mehmet Sekizkok and Embassy staff saying goodbye to passengers from the Skopje International Airport.

And 80 Turks left Montenegro on a Montenegro Airways flight Wednesday.

Turkish Ambassador to Podgorica Songul Ozan thanked Montenegro authorities for their cooperation and said another 150 Turkish citizens would return April 24 on a Turkish Airlines flight.

About 479 Turkish expats have already returned from Montenegro.

Also, more than 100 Turkish nationals returned from Serbia on a Turkish Airlines special flight.

A total of 94 people gathered at Nikola Tesla Aiport in the capital, Belgrade.

Muhammed Kayin expressed satisfaction returning while Cezmi Yilmaz said he is quite happy because of Turkey's assistance in this difficult time.

"God bless our nation, our government, and our state," said Yilmaz.

Saffet Degirmenci is grateful to Erdogan for his efforts to bring him home.

“If the state would not take me to quarantine, I would enter quarantine myself. It is a good practice that we will be in quarantine when we arrive in Turkey," said Degirmenci.

Repatriated Turkish citizens will spend 14 days under quarantine at 87 student dormitories in 73 of Turkey’s 81 provinces.

“Currently we have nearly 26,000 citizens who have applied [for evacuation] from 73 countries,” Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.

Turkey has registered nearly 96,000 coronavirus cases, with the death toll at 2,259.

After being first detected in China late last year, the virus has spread to 185 countries and regions.

It has killed over 181,200 people and infected 2.61 million, while more than 703,500 have recovered, according to the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.