US Embassy in Ankara to be Closed Monday After Security Threat

The US Embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara will be closed on Monday because of a security threat, the embassy said on Sunday in a statement

"Embassy Ankara informs US citizens that the US Embassy in Ankara will be closed to the public on March 5, 2018, due to a security threat.  The Embassy will announce its reopening, once it resumes services," the statement said.

The embassy pointed out that it would provide only emergency services while being closed.

"Routine services, such as passport renewals including lost or stolen passports, reports of birth abroad, and notarial services, are not considered emergencies.  Requests for these services will be processed through our online appointment system once the Embassy reopens.  Visa interviews and other routine services are cancelled; applicants will be informed directly of steps to take," the statement added.

In February, the street in Ankara where the US Embassy is located was named in honor of the Olive Branch operation carried out by Turkish forces and their allied Syrian opposition units in the northern Syrian district of Afrin.

The initiative was announced on Monday by Ankara's Mayor Mustafa Tuna, who said that the Nevzat Tandogan Street would be renamed as the Olive Branch Street. However, US State Department said earlier that the issue was an internal matter of Tukey.