UPDATE - Turkey evacuates 339 nationals from Saudi Arabia

UPDATES WITH ANOTHER FLIGHT

By Ibrahim Erikan, Ozgur Alantor

ADANA/KASTAMONU, Turkey (AA) - Turkey on Thursday evacuated 339 nationals from Saudi Arabia as flights were suspended in the wake of coronavirus.

A total of 168 citizens arrived at Adana airport in southern Turkey.

Separately, another flight carrying 171 citizens landed in Turkey's Kastamonu province.

After routine health checks, they were taken to dormitories in the provinces of Mersin and Kastamonu where they will be kept in quarantine.

The Turkish government has brought back around 60,000 of its nationals from various countries since the start of the pandemic.

Turkey currently has 117,589 coronavirus cases, while the death toll in the country stands at 3,081, and a total of 44,040 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the virus.

The pandemic has killed more than 228,700 people worldwide and infected over 3.2 million, while at least 992,500 have recovered, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan