Iran tensions trigger US evacuation advisory in southeast Turkey

By Lawrence Agbo

The United States has ordered the evacuation of non-essential personnel from its consulate in southern Turkey and advised American citizens to leave the country’s southeastern region amid rising tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

In a statement issued on Monday, the U.S. Department of State directed non-emergency government employees and their family members to depart from the U.S. Consulate General in Adana.

The advisory also urged American citizens currently in southeast Turkey to leave the region mmediately.

“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 safety risks,” the embassy said in a post on X, adding that Americans in the region are “strongly encouraged to depart now.”

The decision comes as tensions escalate across the Middle East following joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, which Tehran has responded to with missile and drone attacks targeting US assets across the region.

Although Turkey has not been directly hit, but the country hosts several facilities used by U.S. forces, including the strategically important Incirlik Air Base near the city of Adana. The base, located about 10 kilometres from the city, has served as a key NATO installation for decades.

Security concerns intensified last week after NATO defence systems intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran that was detected heading toward Turkish territory.

Turkish authorities confirmed that the missile was neutralised, prompting NATO to strengthen its regional ballistic missile defence posture.

Washington’s latest advisory is part of a broader wave of security alerts issued across the Middle East as the confrontation between Iran, the United States and Israel continues to raise fears of a wider regional conflict.