Turkish authorities say the consulates of Canada, Belgium and Germany in Istanbul have been evacuated after receiving suspicious packages today.
Dogan Eskinat, a spokesman for Turkey's emergence management agency, AFAD, said that seven people from the Canadian consulate have been hospitalised as a precaution after one of them opened a package and was exposed to a yellow powder.
Dogan said that as part of standard procedures, Turkish authorities have sent samples for testing.
Claude Rochon, spokeswoman at Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, said: "All staff at the Canadian mission are safe and accounted for."
The German Foreign Ministry said that the German consulate in Istanbul received a "suspicious object," that the staff members are safe and the Turkish authorities were notified. A ministry spokeswoman declined to elaborate.
