Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for another US consulate worker, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported Monday.

The family members of the worker were being questioned although Turkey's justice ministry said it had no information about a new warrant being issued. NTV said the Turkish national consulate worker was still being sought by security officials.

Turkish media reported that the consulate worker was staying at the Istanbul consulate, fearful of arrest if he left.

The reports follow the arrest in Istanbul last week of a local US consulate employee, a Turkish national named as Metin Topuz. The detention triggered a diplomatic row as US and Turkish missions each cut back visa services.

Read more: US halts visa services to Turkey

Turkish foreign ministry sources said the US mission's second-in-charge, Philip Kosnett, had been summoned to the ministry.

The row comes soon after Donald Trump declared ties between the US and Turkey as 'as close as ever'

Turkey demands US rethink

Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul told A Haber television on Monday that he hoped Washington would review its decision to suspend visa services to Turkish citizens wanting to visit and study in the United States.

Gul said the case against Topuz was one for the Turkish judiciary to pursue.

"Trying a Turkish citizen for a crime committed in Turkey is our right. I hope the US will revise its decision in this light," Gul said.

Read more: Turkey purges continue a year after failed coup

Watch video 00:56 Turkey's Erdogan says US decision to suspend visa services 'upsetting'

Turkey's Anadolu news agency said Topuz was accused of espionage and links to the US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen. Ankara accused Gulen of being behind a coup attempt in 2016.

The US embassy said it was "deeply disturbed" by his arrest.

Ambassador John Bass said his embassy had been unable to learn the reasons for last week's arrest or what evidence existed against the US consulate employee.

Business confidence shaken

The diplomatic spat spooked investors. The Turkish lira dropped 3.4 percent and Turkey's main BIST 100 stock index fell, closing the day down 2.73 percent. Especially hard hit were airline shares. Turkish Airlines fell 9 percent.

Turkey's TUSIAD business association warned that the dispute would harm bilateral economic, social and cultural ties, and called for disagreements to be settled calmly.

Sinan Ulgen, an analyst and former Turkish diplomat, said a crisis of confidence had emerged that was not solely a reaction to the detentions of US consulate employees.

"This harshness is a result of a build-up," Ulgen told Reuters.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Between art and documentation The range of themes covered in the exhibition is huge: refugees, the war in Syria, police violence in the Kurdish areas of Turkey, the construction boom and gender issues. Kürşad Bayhan's photos of bottles that have been decorated by Kurdish women symbolize the war-like conditions in southeastern Turkey.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals The Human Chain of Suruç Magnum photographer Emin Özmen focuses on the conditions in the Kurdish regions of Turkey. "Turkey's Hidden Wars" is the title of his black-and-white series. His works show water cannons and tear gas being used by the police and he captures curfew hours. His photo from January 2015 (above) shows Kurds forming a human chain in Suruç to support Kurdish fighters battling the "Islamic State" (IS).

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Celebration despite war Thousands of people came to the Newroz new year's festival in Suruç in March 2015, which took place despite the war. Above, men take a break during their journey. Suruç became a symbol of resistance to the IS. Emin Özmen considers his work to be like a documentary: "In order to find solutions to the massive problems in our region, we need to have a detailed picture of what is happening."

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Refugees from Kobane In his series "Moving Portraits," Barbaros Kayan focuses on the fears of refugees from Kobane who were being housed in camps in Turkey. He wanted to find out what happens when these people return to their home countries. Kayan traveled to Syria and documented the destruction and devastation there.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals New conceptual imagery Barbaros Kayan also photographed Syrians living in the Turkish refugee camps as part of the series. He placed their silhouettes on photos of their hometowns, creating compositions that confront the viewer with new visual themes.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Gentrification in Istanbul Göksu Baysal mainly focuses on the construction boom and gentrification, especially in Istanbul, in his series "Istanbul Reloaded." The pictures depict violence against nature and highlight the rising demand for energy caused by the aggressive building boom.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Monotonous gray Under the pretext of making the city safer against earthquakes, a program called "urban renewal" is replacing historic neighborhoods with gray landscapes built of concrete. The local population is often too poor to afford these new apartments and as a result is usually driven out of these areas.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Gezi - from protest to civil movement What started as a protest against the building boom in Istanbul turned into the Gezi Park demonstrations of summer 2013. In his picture series called "Gezi," Kemal Aslan addresses the resistance of the population against the arbitrariness of the political system. For several weeks, thousands of people in Istanbul demonstrated for freedom and against oppression by institutions.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Women between autonomy and oppression Since the Gezi protests, the role of civil society has become more prominent, and in particular the role of women. At the same time, however, violence against and murders of women continue to increase steadily. Emine Akbaba's series "Precious Blossom" focuses on women who are unable to free themselves from oppression.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals Women as victims of violence In international comparison, violence against women is extremely high in Turkey. Every other woman reports that she has been harassed on at least one occasion. Between 2010 and 2016, more than 1,600 women were murdered in the country. Emine Akbaba, winner of several photography awards, tries to raise awareness through her work about women's rights, gender equality, and freedom of expression.

Photographers capture Turkey's unrest and upheavals 'Isn't it love?' Turkey's LGBT movement has also gained more attention since the start of the Gezi protests. "Isn't it love?" is the title of the series that Ceren Saner produced, which highlights images taken at queer parties. In this photo compilation, Saner questions the nature of love - not sexuality. In Turkey, the series is only shown during the Pride Week or at private events. Author: Ceyda Nurtsch



ipj/bk (AP, Reuters, dpa)