Newsletters
The United States on Monday suspended services at its Consulate General in Adana and ordered non-essential personnel to leave southern Türkiye due to security concerns.
In a statement posted on X, the U.S. State Department said the decision was taken because of safety risks.
“On March 9, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave Consulate General Adana due to the safety risks,” the statement said.
The advisory also urged American citizens in the region to leave.
“Americans in southeast Türkiye are strongly encouraged to depart now,” it added.
The move came after Washington updated its travel advisory following the recent escalation involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
At roughly the same time Washington announced the suspension of services at its Adana consulate, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry confirmed Monday that a ballistic missile launched from Iran and entering Turkish airspace was intercepted by NATO air and missile defense assets.
The ministry said debris from the interception fell onto vacant land in Gaziantep, marking the second such incident in a week.
The confirmation came after earlier reports of suspected missile fragments discovered in the Guneyshehir district of Gaziantep, where gendarmerie forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation.
Earlier, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said Wednesday that a ballistic munition fired from Iran toward Turkish airspace had been intercepted and neutralized by NATO air and missile defense systems in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry said the projectile was detected after passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and was successfully engaged by air defense units.
Since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began on Feb. 28, Iran has carried out missile and drone strikes across the Middle East targeting what it describes as U.S. assets.
U.S. forces are stationed at several military facilities in the region, including Incirlik Air Base, a key NATO installation located about 10 kilometers (6 miles) outside the city of Adana.
Regional tensions have escalated since the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28.
According to Iranian authorities, the strikes have killed more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and injured more than 10,000 others.
Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, Jordan and several Gulf countries hosting U.S. military assets.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
