France officially closed its embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara and the consulate in Istanbul until further notice on Wednesday, citing security reasons. The move came shortly after the cancelation of planned events to mark the July 14 Bastille Day holiday.
"The Embassy of France in Ankara, as well as the Consulate General in Istanbul will be closed from Wednesday July 13, 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), until further notice," the embassy said in a statement after scrapping the July 14 receptions at the missions on security grounds.
"Information points to a serious threat against plans for the celebration of the July 14 national holiday in Turkey. As a precaution, we have decided, in conjunction with the Turkish authorities, to cancel the celebrations," a statement from the mission in Istanbul said.
Turkey has been on high alert since the deadly bombings of Istanbul Atatürk Airport that killed at least 45 people and injured over 230. Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.
