Germany, Italy close consulates in Istanbul over security fears

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Germany, Italy close consulates in Istanbul over security fears

Protesters gather at the Consulate General of Sweden in Istanbul on January 22, 2023 after Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish political party Hard Line, and who also has Swedish citizenship, burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on January 22, 2023. PHOTO AFP ISTANBUL - Germany and Italy have joined the growing list of Western countries with their consulates temporarily closed in Istanbul over security concerns, as T rkiye is on high alert for possible retaliation for Quran burning incidents in several European countries.

The German Embassy in the capital Ankara announced on Wednesday that it was closed due to security concerns. The Italian Consulate General in Istanbul issued a statement on its website saying the consulate would be closed on Thursday.

The Netherlands, the first to close its consulate in Istanbul, took the move on Monday.

The recent demonstrations in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, where a Quran was burned and torn up, can evoke anti-Western feelings and lead to demonstrations and protests, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a travel advisory to T rkiye on Monday.

There is an increased threat of an attack against Western targets, diplomatic representations, and places of worship, particularly in Istanbul, it warned.

Britain issued a similar travel advisory on Tuesday, warning of a heightened threat to churches, synagogues, embassies, consulates, and other places frequented by Westerners in Istanbul. Since Tuesday, the British Consulate General in Istanbul has been closed to the public.

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Following the Quran burning incidents, France and the United States have issued travel warnings for T rkiye.

On Monday, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced that it had raised its security measures to the highest level against Islamic State and Al Qaeda retaliation.

Evaluations were made against all possible provocations, and our security measures were maximized after the sinister actions against our holy book, the Quran, in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, according to a statement by the ministry.