Turkey's consul-general in Aleppo returned to Turkey on Monday, July 23, after the Foreign Ministry recalled him for consultations amidst intensifying clashes between the Syrian army and opposition fighters in Aleppo, Today’s Zaman reported.

The decision to recall the consul-general was reportedly taken at a security meeting held at the Foreign Ministry last week.

A foreign ministry official told Reuters that Consul-General Adnan Keçeci crossed into Turkey on Monday morning and would hold consultations on the situation in Syria, without elaborating on whether he would return.

The move follows a counter-offensive that Syrian government forces launched after a bomb attack killed members of the country's ruling elite last week, a blow Syrian President Bashar Assad's foes called a sign that the end of his grip on power was imminent.

Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Syria on March 26 in protest of the regime's failure to respond to international calls to remove its troops from urban areas and beleaguered cities. Syria has been mired in bloody conflict for over a year as security forces seek to crush a revolt against Assad's rule.

Most of the consulate staff had earlier returned to Turkey but Consul-General Keçeci remained on duty and the mission remained open with the minimum number of personnel needed to handle consular duties.