Ankara, Feb 16 (IANS): Turkey decided Sunday to shut its embassy in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, and evacuate its diplomatic staff as a result of the worsening security situation in the country, Xinhua reported, citing Turkish media.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had issued a new travel warning for Turkish citizens Saturday, urging them to leave Yemen immediately.
Yemen has been gripped by political strife for weeks after minority Houthi rebels took over the reins of power in January.
The rebels seized control of the presidential palace in Sana'a and key government facilities, dissolved the parliament and placed president Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi under house arrest last month.
The US, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have evacuated their embassies in Yemen as a result the political instability in the country.