ISTANBUL — The U.S. Embassy in Turkey issued a security alert on Friday, saying it had received reports of a possible coming attack on Americans and other foreigners, and temporarily suspended consular services.

“The U.S. Mission in Turkey has received credible reports of potential terrorist attacks and kidnappings against U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in Istanbul, including against the U.S. Consulate General, as well as potentially other locations in Turkey,” the embassy said in a statement.

The embassy in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, urged American citizens to exercise caution, including while at large office buildings, shopping malls and other places foreigners gather. It said citizen and visa services would be suspended temporarily at all U.S. consulates in Turkey.

The Islamic State and an outlawed Kurdish militant group conducted deadly attacks on Turkish soil between 2015 and 2017. A far-left group has also targeted the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

A representative of the embassy said: “The U.S. mission to Turkey issued this notice as a result of our ongoing assessment of security conditions. The statement speaks for itself. We are grateful for the support of the Turkish government in ensuring the safety of Americans living in Turkey as well as Turkish citizens who visit our embassy and consulates.”

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