'Embassy in Ankara closed due to Hezbollah threat'

Hürriyet report comes after Foreign ministry says embassies on high alert amid risk of terror attack; some diplomatic missions in Turkey suspended.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
imad mughniyeh_311 (photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
imad mughniyeh_311
(photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The Foreign Ministry has temporarily closed some of its diplomatic missions abroad, including the Israeli Embassy in Ankara and the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, according to Turkish paper Hürriyet.
Turkish diplomatic sources said that while the diplomats were still working, the functions of the Israeli missions are temporarily suspended due to the risk of a possible terror attack linked to Hezbollah.
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The report suggested that diplomatic operations would continue, but the embassy would not offer all functions, including visa applications.
Israeli Embassy officials in Ankara declined to comment on the issue, according to Hürriyet.
Israel embassies were on heightened alert Tuesday and four were closed at the beginning of the week, following concrete warnings of possible terrorist attacks timed to mark the third anniversary of Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh’s assassination.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement Tuesday saying a number of “irregular incidents” had been noticed recently around a number of Israeli diplomatic missions abroad.
Herb Keinon contributed to this report