Türkiye evacuates citizens from Gaza: ministry

Turkey has evacuated 170 of its citizens and their relatives from the Gaza Strip so far, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, 44 Turkish citizens landed in Istanbul on Sunday via Egypt on a chartered Turkish Airlines plane.

"It's no longer possible to live in Gaza. The (Israeli) bombardment starts at night and continues until 5 in the morning," Kerem Huseyini, one of the evacuated Turkish citizens, was quoted as saying by the CNN Turk television.

Meanwhile, a plane carrying another 87 citizens evacuated from Gaza is expected to arrive in Istanbul on Monday evening, the statement said.

"Today, if the conditions on the ground permit, we aim to evacuate approximately another 100 people from Gaza. Our diplomats have reached Rafah Border Gate early in the morning," the statement added, noting that Turkey's evacuation is carried out with the approval by Israeli authorities.