Canadian journalist stranded in Vancouver by attempted coup in Turkey

B.C. residents hoping to fly to Turkey are on standby as Air Canada has cancelled flights to the country following the attempted military coup on Friday. 

Natalie Carney Gercik, an international news correspondent who lives in Turkey with her Turkish husband, Mustafa, and their three-year-old son, Keenan Kaan, is in Vancouver on holiday visiting relatives.

She was supposed to fly home with her family at 6 a.m. Saturday, but Air Canada has cancelled all flights to Istanbul. 

As a journalist, she is keen to return home and report on what is happening in her adopted country, but as a parent, they are concerned the country is not safe for their young son.

“We are all waiting with bated breath. We are counting our blessings that we are here in Vancouver,” she said.

Canadian journalist living in Turkey Natalie Carney Gercik was stranded in Vancouver after Air Canada cancelled flights to Istanbul after the attempted military coup in Turkey. She is worried the country is unsafe to return to with her three-year-old son Keenan. 

After reclaiming control of the country, Turkish officials arrested or fired thousands of military personnel and judges they claimed were followers of the U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric, Fethullah Gulen. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that those responsible “will pay a heavy price for their treason” and demanded that the United States extradite the cleric he blamed for the attempted overthrow of his government.

Carney Gercik said they have been glued to the news as they wrestle with whether to return home as soon as the airline resumes flights, or wait until the situation calms down.

One image, she said, of a civilian beheading a soldier is “very worrying” and something that they haven’t seen in the country before. Although they do plan to return to Turkey, she said the family may consider moving to Canada.

Carney Gercik, who is staying in B.C. with her aunt, former Canadian senator and cabinet minister Pat Carney, said even if Air Canada resumes flights this weekend they will stay in B.C. for a few extra days, in the unlikely event that a second coup attempt is made.

“We will keep monitoring the news,” she said. “The government does seem to be taking control.”

She said the government has public support, adding that an interesting twist is that the coup seems to be uniting the country. Massive crowds gathered Saturday singing and waving Turkish flags in several cities.

Angela Mah, a spokeswoman for Air Canada, said flights to Istanbul out of Toronto on Saturday night and on Sunday have also been cancelled. 

“We continue to monitor this situation closely and are in contact with our international teams and authorities, and we will continue to provide updates regarding our flight operations  on aircanada.com and via Twitter,” she said, in an email Saturday.

ticrawford@postmedia.com

With files from The Associated Press