According to Turkish authorities, investigations have taken place at the Canadian, German and Belgian consulates in Istanbul. Several suspicious substances and objects had been detected at these previously mentioned consulates. Canadian officials reported receiving a letter with an unidentified yellow substance inside the envelope, on Friday. The person who opened the letter was directly exposed to this mysterious substance. Also, other six people who were nearby at that moment, might have been indirectly exposed to it. However, after the letter was opened, no one exhibited any alarming reactions, according to a representative of Turkey’s emergency management agency. The suspicious substance was investigated by chemical, radiological and nuclear experts.
The place where the envelope was opened has been decontaminated, together with the seven people directly, or indirectly exposed to the yellow substance. Authorities are investigating similar incidents at the German and Belgian Consulates in Istanbul. The Belgian Consulate received a similar envelope to the Canadian one. The envelope also contained an odd yellow substance, which was not yet identified. The German Consulate on the other hand, received a suspicious object, instead of the envelope, according to the German Foreign Office. However, officials did not give more details about the object. They mentioned that the Turkish authorities had been notified. No one at the German consulate came into contact with the suspicious object.
The Canadian, German and Belgian Consulate were evacuated because of the incident. Turkish authorities began investigations. Turkey’s disaster management agency declared that “the letter containing a yellow substance was examined in line with regular procedures”. An employee at the Canadian Consulate said that everyone received an email in which they were asked to evacuate the building immediately. She added: “We couldn’t grab our bags or jackets. They took us outside. We gathered outside the consulate. We were told an envelope came to the consulate, there was a powder inside, that it was dangerous, and that we were being sent home. Canadian Forces officials declared on Thursday that they were working on figuring out whether more security measures were necessary, because of the recent shooting incident in the Parliament, on October 22. During the Wednesday shooting, one person was shot dead. General Tom Lawson, the chief of Canada’s defence staff declared: “We will carry on all our missions at home and abroad in a steadfast, resolute and vigilant manner, and serve our nation and her people”.