ISTANBUL
Istanbul has been on alert since reports of letters containing suspicious yellow powder being delivered to the consulates of the United States, Canada, Belgium and Germany.
Nine people have been taken to Bakirkoy Hospital for medical checks.
The Canadian consulate in Istanbul called in Turkish investigators on Friday morning to check a suspicious package. A Turkish chemical, radiology and nuclear team was dispatched to inspect the item.
On Friday afternoon a U.S. consulate source in Istanbul told the Anadolu Agency that they had also received a suspicious package.
"The building has not been evacuated but American and Turkish authorities are working to investigate it," the unidentified official told AA.
Early in the morning, the Belgium and German consulates also notified the police over suspect deliveries, official sources said.
Istanbul Police Headquarters is now investigating who sent the packages to the consulates and from where.
Turkish emergency workers attended the Belgian consulate near the city’s landmark Taksim Square on Friday afternoon.
Dogan Eskinat, press secretary of the Turkish AFAD emergency agency, announced on a social media account that the consulates of Canada and Belgium had been decontaminated, adding that work was continuing at the German consulate.
According to information from the Canadian authorities, one person came directly into contact with this morning’s suspicious package and six other people had indirect exposure.
An official from Istanbul’s Belgian consulate confirmed to an AA reporter that police came to the building and that an emergency response team was also present.
"The building has not been evacuated, and all our staff are inside now," the official said.
An AA reporter at the scene said officials from Turkey’s Health Ministry were present.
AA also observed Turkish police controlling movement in and out of the nearby German consulate. Sources within the building declined to give any details on whether a suspicious package had arrived.
The atmosphere around the building was reported as being calm, with traffic moving freely.
Other consulates are now reviewing their security arrangements.
The British consulate in central Istanbul as well as the French consulate confirmed that they would adopt extra security measures following today’s events at other foreign offices.
The Turkish authorities have taken samples of the yellow substance and sent them to Hifzissihha laboratory in the capital Ankara for a complete examination. Results are expected within two to three days.
www.aa.com.tr/en
