Cirque du Soleil cancels 40 shows in Turkey

Canada-based Cirque du Soleil has canceled 40 shows in Turkey for fear of political instability there after a deadly failed coup attempt, the acrobatic troupe said Tuesday.

More than 70 performers were slated to stage the show "Blum" -- organized by Cirque special events division 45 Degrees -- in the Mediterranean resort town of Antalya between August 16 and September 17.

"We were not in a position to ensure the safety of our employees," Cirque spokeswoman Marie-Helene Lagace told Radio-Canada.

Turkey has undergone a seismic shift since July 15, when renegade soldiers sought to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan but were stopped by crowds of civilians and loyalist security forces. At least 270 people were killed on both sides.

Some 13,000 people have been detained and over 9,000 of them remanded in custody ahead of trial over the attempted coup, which the Turkish authorities blame on reclusive US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.