‘Yellow powder’ alarm at Hungarian consulate in Istanbul

An envelope containing yellow powder was sent to the Hungarian Consulate early Oct. 27, the Istanbul Governor’s Office said, two days after five other Western consulates received similar suspicious packages. The incident came as the Turkish health minister announced that tests for anthrax and plague came back as negative.

Consulate officials discovered the envelope at the start of their shift on Oct. 27 and notified authorities, the governor’s office said, adding that chemical and biological experts from Turkey’s disaster management agency AFAD had been sent to clean and decontaminate site.

Twenty-five people, including five foreigners, are under quarantine after having been exposed to the yellow substance at the German, Canadian and Belgian consulates in Istanbul. The hospital treating the Canadians said the Consul General was among them.

Health Minister Mehmet Müezzinoğlu told Hürriyet on Oct. 27 that the powder was analyzed for anthrax, plague and botulism and the tests came back negative.

“We are also considering tularemia. If this test also comes back negative, we will conclude that it’s a harmless powder. We will get the test results back today,” Müezzinoğlu said.

A Health Ministry statement said tests on risin and tularemia had also come back negative. The remaining tests will be concluded later on Oct. 27, the statement added.

Canada closed its consulate in Istanbul as a precaution on Oct. 27. Both the U.S. and French consulates were also searched for anything suspicious after the packages triggered alarm at the foreign missions Oct. 24.

The governor’s office said the envelope discovered at the Hungarian consulate was similar to the envelopes found at the other consulates and...