In light of events currently unfolding in Turkey, the Government of Jamaica wishes to express its sincere hope that the atmosphere of unrest and uncertainty in that country will soon be resolved, and that there will be an early restoration of normalcy.
We are aware that a three-member, all female, Jamaican delegation is now in Istanbul, participating in the 40th Session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.
Two of them are from the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports (MCGES), whilst the third is from the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), an agency of MCGES.
Contact has been made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFA&FT), and MCGES with members of the delegation and they are safe.
At the same time, the Ministry notes that there are Jamaican nationals studying and visiting in Turkey. The Ministry has made contact with one such person and ascertained that he is safe. The Permanent Mission of Jamaica to the United Nations in Geneva, which is also accredited to Turkey, is seeking to reach out to the others.
Contact has also been made with our Honorary Consul in Istanbul, and he has been put in touch with the Jamaicans identified in Turkey, so that he can provide consular assistance as may be necessary.
The MFA&FT will continue to monitor the situation of our nationals in Turkey and will provide updates as they become available.
