A shootout outside Israel’s consulate in Istanbul left one attacker dead and two wounded on Tuesday as police responded to an armed attack involving rifles and pistols, Reuters reported.
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said at least two police officials were also slightly injured in the incident. Speaking to reporters at the scene, he said the attackers used rifles and pistols in the attack, adding that there had been no Israeli diplomatic personnel at the consulate for the past two years.
The attackers had ties to an organization that uses religion: The Minister
The attackers, two of whom were brothers, allegedly had ties to an organization that “uses religion,” according to the country’s interior minister, Mustafa Ciftci. In a post on X, he wrote that the attackers traveled from the city of Izmit, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Istanbul, in a rented car.
Attackers shoot at Turkish police officers
Reuters reported that officers drew their weapons and took cover as gunshots rang out for at least 10 minutes. One person was covered in blood. Footage showed the apparent attacker moving between parked police and security buses and firing an automatic rifle and a handgun for several minutes. Two bodies lay on nearby streets and grassy areas.
Since the start of the 2023 war between Hamas and Israel, heavily armed police have been maintained in the area near the Israeli consulate. The consulate is located in a high-rise building in the financial district of Istanbul. Turkiye, a fierce critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023 and diplomatic relations have been effectively frozen ever since. Around the same time that year, Israeli diplomats left Turkey over security concerns after pro-Palestinian protests broke out across the country and outside the consulate.
Turkish ministers react
Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said three prosecutors, including the deputy chief prosecutor, had been tasked with leading the investigation.
He said prosecutors quickly arrived at the scene and began an on-the-spot investigation, adding that the investigation was being carried out “carefully and multi-faceted” in coordination with law enforcement units.
According to the Anadolu news agency, initial findings indicate that the attackers targeted Turkish police officers deployed in the area. The Minister of Justice said that efforts are currently underway to fully clarify the circumstances of the incident.
Turkey’s director of communications, Burhanettin Duran, noted in a post on X that the swift and decisive action of security forces “prevented a potentially larger threat.”
Duran added that the attack will not weaken Ankara’s determination to achieve the goals of a “Türkiye without terrorism” and a “region without terrorism”, stressing that the state will continue to resolutely fight against threats and provocations.
The attack on the Israeli consulate comes at a time when tensions are escalating in the Middle East following the US-Israeli war with Iran in late February. The war, now in its sixth week, has caused widespread destruction, with thousands of deaths reported across the region.
