Recalling his anxious moments, Aizat Shamsuddin, 24, said he was on a bus heading to Ataturk airport in Istanbul when he was detained by military personnel.

“The bus driver ordered us to get out because the military did not permit us to go to the airport.

“They (soldiers) put up road blocks in all areas and did not allow the people to pass through, I took a taxi and used another route but was not successful,” he told Bernama via chat messaging.

Aizat was on his way to Durban, South Africa, for a conference organised by a non governmental organisation and made a seven-hour transit in Istanbul before taking a connecting flight.

He said there was a small group of Turks who tried to create provocation and protest against the military personnel at the roadblocks.

The group’s action resulted in the soldiers firing several shots into the air as a warning.

“Together with several of their people I ran following the shooting because I was concerned for my safety.

“The sound of azan can be heard each time and this is really a frightening experience and I hope nothing bad happens,” he said.

Aizat said he had contacted the Malaysian Embassy in Turkey and was now at the lobby of a hotel 5km from the airport.

“I got into a car belonging to a Turkish Airlines flight attendant to the hotel…imagine eight people in a car as big as a Perodua Axia.

“In order to save ourselves, we were willing to huddle together…there are soldiers everywhere and this is a horrible experience…hope everyone is safe,” he added.

The Turkish military attempted a coup on Friday that resulted in chaos when it took control of the roads in Ankara and Istanbul.

China’s Xinhua news agency reported that the military armed with heavy weapons could be seen early Saturday morning in Ankara, Turkey’s capital and Istanbul, the most populous city in that country.

In a media conference in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reported to have said those involved in the coup attempt would be punished and the mission to completely wipe out the traitors in the Turkish army had already began.