Turkey airlifts 21 citizens from troubled South Sudan

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Saturday that his country had dispatched an airplane to fly 21 of its citizens back home from South Sudan where clashes had left over 1,000 dead. The ministry said in a statement that the Turkish government is closely watching the developments in the troubled African country and that all necessary actions will be taken for the safety of the Turkish citizens there. Violent clashes erupted in South Sudan earlier this month between two military factions, one descending from the Dinka tribe to which South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit belongs, and the other descending from the Nuer tribe to which sacked former vice-president Machar belongs. Machar was ousted from his post in July and has been accused of plotting against the government since the eruption of the clashes two weeks ago. The fighting has displaced more than 120,000 people and killed more than 1,000.