German authorities announced Wednesday that their consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul will remain closed for the day «for security reasons,» days after warning of an increased threat of attacks following the burning of copies of the Koran at demonstrations staged by far-right extremists in European countries.
«The German consulate general in Istanbul will remain closed today, February 1, for security reasons,» the consulate said via its account on the social network Twitter. «Appointments for visa and passport matters have been canceled. Thank you for your understanding,» it added.
Germany was one of the countries — along with Spain and the United States — that issued an alert to its citizens last week about the increased risk of attacks in Turkey. The United States expanded its alert Monday to specify that the warning affects Istanbul.
The Spanish Embassy in Turkey stated in its alert that «in view of the incidents of Koran burning in Europe and the succession of suspected terrorist acts near places of worship in various countries, it is recommended to avoid the vicinity of places of worship, as well as crowds and places heavily frequented by tourists.»
For its part, the Turkish government has advised its citizens living abroad to be alert to the increase of «anti-Islamic, xenophobic and racist actions» in Europe and the United States.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
