US urges citizens to leave southeast Türkiye

WASHINGTON

Washington has advised non-essential staff to leave its consulate near the southern Turkish city of Adana near a key NATO base and ordered U.S. citizens to leave "southeast Türkiye, the U.S. embassy to Ankara said on March 9.

Since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began on February 28, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes across the Middle East in a bid to hit U.S. assets.

So far, Türkiye appears to have been spared, despite the fact that U.S. troops are stationed at several of its bases.

One is İncirlik air base, an important NATO facility that has been used by U.S. troops for decades which is located just 10 kilometers (six miles) outside the city of Adana.

"On March 9, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and U.S. government employee family members to leave Consulate General Adana due to the safety risks," the embassy said on X.

It referenced a State Department travel advisory saying: "Americans in southeast Turkey are strongly encouraged to depart now."