--- description: The U.S. consulate general in Istanbul cancelled public services on Wednesday, citing a possible security threat to the compound title: U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Warns of Security Threat image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Warns of Security Threat, Cancels Services by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 9, 2015 4:13 AM CUT by [Mark Rivett-Carnac](/author/mark-rivett-carnac/) ## Mark Rivett-Carnac Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 9, 2015 4:13 AM CUT The U.S. consulate general in Istanbul [canceled public services](http://turkey.usembassy.gov/sm%5F120815.html "undefined") Wednesday, citing a possible security threat to the compound. While other consular posts in Turkey will run normally, the warning asked Americans to “maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster your personal security.” The closure comes just four days after the U.S. embassy in Turkey’s capital Ankara [warned](http://turkey.usembassy.gov/wm-12052015.html "undefined") citizens to avoid diplomatic missions in Istanbul, Ankara, Adana and Izmir. The announcement did not provide further information about the nature of the threat. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4142063/turkey-istanbul-us-consulate-security-warning/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4142063/turkey-istanbul-us-consulate-security-warning/"},"headline":"U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Warns of Security Threat, Cancels Services","datePublished":"2015-12-09T04:13:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:13:24.366Z","description":"Americans have been advised to “maintain a high level of vigilance\"","url":"https://time.com/4142063/turkey-istanbul-us-consulate-security-warning/","keywords":["Turkey","Security","us","istanbul"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Rivett-Carnac","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/mark-rivett-carnac/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4142063/turkey-istanbul-us-consulate-security-warning/","name":"U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Warns of Security Threat, Cancels Services"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Watch: This Is What The Fight Against ISIS Looks Like From The Border in Turkey","description":"In recent weeks, the town of Kobane in Syria has become a symbol of resistance against Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) militants","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/x6PWqk1Q/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-12-15T17:59:50.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/x6PWqk1Q.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4142063/turkey-istanbul-us-consulate-security-warning/","duration":"PT2M34S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4142063/turkey-istanbul-us-consulate-security-warning/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```