Because of the possibility of strikes by Iran, Israel’s National Security Council upgraded its travel advisory for Istanbul, the most populous city in Turkey, to the most severe level.
According to the reports of Xinhua media organisation, the warning was sent in the midst of the most recent uptick in tensions between Iran and Israel.
“Given the continuing nature of the threat and in light of the increased Iranian intentions to attack Israelis in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul,” the National Security Council stated in an announcement made late on Monday night.
It demanded that Israelis now located in Istanbul leave the city, and it advised Israelis who were considering a trip to Turkey to postpone their trip until further notice.
The statement drew attention to the fact that many regions in Turkey are operating under a Level-3 travel warning, also known as an intermediate travel alert, which advises Israelis to avoid “non-essential travel” to the regions.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a call some hours before the statement was released, urging Israelis now in Turkey to leave the country as soon as they could and others to call off planned trips there.
He went on to say that the warning was based on “a scenario evaluation,” which had found evidence of an effort by “Iranian troops” to abduct or murder Israeli people who were in Turkey.
On Sunday, Israeli officials said that Turkish police had foiled a “Iranian conspiracy” to attack Israelis who were travelling in Turkey in the previous month.
Iran’s first response did not address the claims directly. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei was a colonel in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps who was shot and murdered by two motorcycles in the east of Tehran on May 22. Iran has accused Israel of being responsible for his death, and the country has promised to seek vengeance for his passing.