A gunman was killed and two others injured in a shootout with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Monday, Turkish officials said, adding that two police officers also sustained minor injuries.
Governor Davut Gul confirmed that one of the attackers was neutralised during the incident, which took place at around 12.15pm local time.
It was not immediately clear whether the consulate was the intended target. According to a source familiar with the matter, no Israeli diplomats are currently based in Türkiye, as diplomatic missions had been relocated across the region following the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the incident, describing it as a “treacherous attack”, and pledged to continue efforts to combat all forms of terrorism.
“We will not allow provocations to disrupt Türkiye’s security environment,” Erdogan said in a televised address.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said the attackers arrived in a rented vehicle from Izmit, a city about 86 kilometres away, and suggested that one of them had links to an organisation operating in the region.
The ministry later stated that the deceased gunman had connections to a terrorist group, while confirming that the two injured police officers were in stable condition. It also added that the remaining attackers were siblings, with one having a prior drug-related record.
Footage from the scene showed one of the attackers carrying an automatic rifle, dressed in beige cargo trousers, a black shirt, and a backpack.
“I suddenly saw gunfire erupt. It went on for quite a while,” said one witness, who declined to be named.
