In brief
A gunfight erupted near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, resulting in the death of one gunman and injuries to two policemen. Turkish authorities believe the attackers were linked to a terrorist organization. The incident raised concerns over security, although no Israeli diplomats were present during the attack. President Erdogan condemned the act as a 'heinous' terrorist action.
A gunman was killed and two were injured in a shootout near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a 'heinous act of terror'. Two policemen were 'slightly injured' in the gun fight, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said. Ciftci revealed that the attackers had come to Istanbul from the city of Izmit by rental car and confirmed that two of them were brothers.In a statement on social media, the interior ministry named the killed gunman as Yunus E.S., who was reportedly 'connected to the terrorist organization that exploits religion', believed to refer to the Islamic State group, though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Erdogan asserted that Turkey would not allow such provocations to disrupt the country’s climate of trust.Initially, police reported two attackers had died, but local governor Davut Gul later clarified that only one gunman was killed. The two injured attackers, identified as Onur Ç and Enes Ç, are also brothers. The injured police officers are not in life-threatening condition, with one sustaining a leg injury and the other wounded in the ear.Authorities noticed 'intensive digital communication' among the three injured attackers, and interrogation of the surviving brothers is ongoing. Governor Gul detailed that the attackers used rifles and pistols during the assault, which occurred in broad daylight with several witnesses present.Unverified footage from social media captured the dramatic scene, showing the police engaged in gunfire with the armed attacker. Witnesses described the sounds of gunfire as 'loud' and continuing for an extended period.As part of security measures, a heavy police presence was observed around the consulate area, which was cordoned off for several hours following the attack. Notably, there were no Israeli diplomatic personnel in the consulate, which has remained empty for the past two-and-a-half years amid strained relations between Israel and Turkey stemming from the Gaza conflict. The justice minister announced that an investigation into the incident is underway.
