US diplomats' family members ordered to leave Istanbul by State Department over terror fears

The family members of US consular staff in Istanbul have been ordered to leave the city by the US State Department due to security concerns. The order comes after a warning last week of increased risks from extremist groups and advice to US citizen that they should carefully consider whether to travel within Turkey. However, the US Consulate General in Istanbul remains fully staffed and open for business.

Moreover, the order does not cover other US diplomatic outposts in Turkey. It appears that the security concerns are most severe in Istanbul. The order comes as anti-US feelings remain high in the country. Formerly Turkey and the US have been strong allies - Turkey is a member of NATO - but relations have soured in recent months.

The Turkish government has said that the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen was responsible for the coup attempt. The US State Department is now considering a request from Turkey for Gulen's extradition. Gulen lives in Pennsylvania and has denied any connection to the plot, condemning it "in the strongest terms".

US leaders were offended when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed Washington had backed the coup attempt. At least 270 people died during the insurrection. Meanwhile the Turkish government has recently made diplomatic initiatives to Russia and Iran, both of whom are traditionally hostile to the US.

In August, President Erdogan visited Moscow to discuss collaboration with Russia over ending Syria's civil war. As well as the botched coup, Turkey this year suffered from a series of attacks by Islamic State (Isis) jihadists and Kurdish militants. In August two mortar rounds reportedly hit the southeastern Turkish town of Karkamis and a suicide bombing in the city of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, killed 54 people and injured dozens more.