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Istanbul consulates sent suspicious yellow powder

October 24, 2014

The Istanbul consulates of five western nations received packets of unidentified yellow powder on Friday, prompting a security alert. A number of people were hospitalized as a precaution.

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Türkei Gelbes Pulver in kanadischer Botschaft 24.10.2014
Image: Reuters/Stringer

The Belgian, Canadian, French, German and US consulates in Istanbul all received letters containing unidentified yellow powder on Friday. Turkish officials say results of tests conducted on the packages were due on Monday.

The consulates were briefly closed during investigations into the powder. Sixteen people who had been exposed to the powder were hospitalized "as a precautionary measure," the Turkish health ministry said in a statement.

Turkey's disaster management agency, AFAD, said only one person at the Canadian embassy was directly exposed to the substance, although six others had indirect exposure. German and Belgian consular staff are also being monitored in hospital and a number of the consulates are being decontaminated.

The German foreign ministry in Berlin confirmed a "suspicious object" had been received at the Istanbul consulate, but gave no further details. It said all staff were removed from the building.

The incident prompted security alerts days after attacks in Canada this week, and amid continuing fighting over Turkey's borders in Iraq and Syria. Islamic State fighters have moved closer to Turkish soil, and are battling Kurdish fighters to take control of the Syrian border town of Kobani.

jr/es (Reuters, dpa, AFP)