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US Consulate in Istanbul Issues Protest Warning


A police special forces member stands guard on a street in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016.
A police special forces member stands guard on a street in Istanbul, Turkey, July 18, 2016.

The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul said on Monday it expected demonstrations near its facilities following an attempted military coup in Turkey on Friday and it warned American citizens to avoid the area.

Turks have been marching and protesting in public places to demonstrate support for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since early Saturday morning following the attempted coup by a faction within the Turkish military.

Turkey is demanding that the United States extradite an exiled cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who it says was behind the coup attempt. Gulen denies involvement and Washington says Ankara must provide genuine evidence before it would hand him over.

On Twitter, some accounts urged followers to meet at the Consulate on Monday at 2:00 p.m. (1100 GMT).

The consulate and embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara have already cancelled visa appointments scheduled for Monday "due to recent events", according to the consulate's Twitter account.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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