Germany closes Istanbul consulate over ‘risk of attack’

Germany and Italy have joined the growing list of Western countries having their consulates in Istanbul temporarily closed over security concerns, as Turkey is on high alert against possible retaliation for Quran burning incidents in several European countries.

The German Embassy in the capital Ankara announced on social media that the consulate in Istanbul was closed on Wednesday for security concerns. Meanwhile, the Italian Consulate General in Istanbul issued a statement on its website saying the consulate would be closed on Thursday.

The first to close its consulate in Istanbul was the Netherlands, which took the move on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.