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Germany closes embassy in Ankara

Germany on Thursday closed its consulate general and a high school in Istanbul following security threats.

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Steinmeier also said that he had ordered German institutions in Turkey to close their doors, because protecting German citizens “must now take precedence”.

The closure of the German embassy and a school comes on the very day European Union (EU) leaders meet in Brussels to agree on a deal to offer Turkey to secure their commitment to halt the migrant flow to the Greek islands.

The email went on to say that Germans should avoid the vicinity of the German consulate in Istanbul, which is situated near Taksim Square, a major tourist spot and scene of violence and demonstrations at various points in modern Turkish history.

On Sunday, a suicide vehicle bombing hit Ankara, the capital, killing 37 people and injuring more than 100 others.

Turkey has been on high alert after several bomb attacks in recent months.

In a statement posted Thursday on its website, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons said the attack in Ankara was in response to Turkish military operations against Kurdish rebels in the southeast.

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The Kurdish militant group TAK claimed responsiblity for the deadly suicide attack in which two of its own were killed.

The German consulate general in Istanbul Turkey