Following a firearm attack by a man who is now in police custody, at the US Embassy in Ankara main gate yesterday, the Embassy in Ankara has issued a statement saying that it mission to Turkey will be closed.
According to the statement, an individual approached the US Embassy Ankara main gate and discharged a firearm. There have been no reported injuries and the individual is in police custody.
The statement said: “due to this incident, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, and the U.S. Consulate in Adana will be closed for normal operations on Tuesday.”
The US Mission also reminded US citizens to review personal security plans, ensure communication connectivity and maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance personal security.
US Ambassador to Turkey, John Bass, twitted on Monday: “I condemn in the strongest terms the heinous attack on Ambassador Karlov,”
The Arts and Culture Centre of the municipality of Ankara’s Cankaya district, where Russia’s Ambassador, Andrei Karlov was shot dead on Monday, was only 50 metres to the US Embassy.
Meanwhile, the US Consulate in Adana informed US citizens that general demonstrations would take place between Ataturk Park and Adana’s Central Train Station.
The participants were expected to demonstrate against recent violent terrorist attacks throughout the country and against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Report said that previous such demonstrations in other cities also included anti-American messages, even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. [myad]
