Netherlands Closes Consulate in Istanbul Over Terror Threat

FILE - An armored police vehicle drives along an empty Istikal street, following a suicide bombing in a major shopping and tourist district in central Istanbul, March 19, 2016.

The Netherlands has temporarily closed its consulate-general in Istanbul due to a possible terror threat.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry issued a statement Wednesday morning, saying the closure was a precautionary measure. Officials did not elaborate on the nature of the threat. The ministry urged Dutch citizens to avoid the area.

The ministry also said that about 40 staff members were evacuated following the closure.

The announcement follows a suicide attack Saturday in the area where the Dutch consulate and other diplomatic missions are located. At least four people were killed and dozens wounded.

The explosion rocked Istiklal Street, the main shopping boulevard in central Istanbul which is usually full of pedestrians at the end of the week.