Shooting outside Israeli consulate in Istanbul: 1 attacker killed, 2 wounded; cops suffer injuries

A gunfight outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday left one attacker dead and two others wounded, as police responded to an armed assault involving rifles and pistols, Reuters reported.

Istanbul's Governor Davut Gul said that at least two police officials were also slightly wounded in the incident. Speaking to reporters at the scene, he said that the attackers used rifles and pistols in the assault, adding that there has been no Israeli diplomatic staff at the consulate for the last two years.

Attackers had links to organisation that exploits religion: Minister

According to the country's Interior Minister, Mustafa Ciftci, the attackers, two of whom were brothers, reportedly had links to an organisation that “exploits religion”. In a post on X, he wrote that the attackers had travelled from the city of Izmit, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Istanbul, in a rented car.

Attackers fire at Turkish police officers

Reuters reported that police officers pulled out guns and took cover as shots rang out for at least 10 minutes. One person was covered in blood. Footage showed an apparent attacker moving among parked police and security buses and firing for over several minutes with an automatic rifle and handgun. Two bodies lay on nearby streets and grassy areas.

Since the Hamas-Israel war began in 2023, a heavily armed police presence has been maintained in the area near the Israeli consulate. The consulate is located in a high-rise building in Istanbul's financial district. Turkiye, a fierce critic of Israel's military operations in Gaza, had recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023, and diplomatic relations have been effectively frozen since then. Around the same time that year, Israeli diplomats left Turkiye due to security concerns after pro-Palestinian protests erupted across the country and in front of the consulate.

Turkiye's ministers react

Turkey's Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said three prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, have been assigned to lead an investigation.

He said prosecutors swiftly arrived at the scene and began on-site examinations, adding that the probe is being carried out “meticulously and in a multi-faceted manner” in coordination with law enforcement units.

According to the Anadolu news agency, initial findings suggest that the attackers targeted Turkish police officers deployed in the area. The Justice Minister said that efforts are currently underway to clarify the circumstances of the incident completely.

Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, in a post on X, noted that security forces’ rapid and decisive intervention “prevented a potentially larger threat.”

Duran added that the attack would not weaken Ankara's determination to achieve its “terror-free Türkiye” and “terror-free region” goals, stressing that the state will continue its fight against threats and provocations with resolve.

The attack on the Israeli consulate comes at a time when tensions are escalating in the Middle East following the US-Israel war with Iran in late February. The war, now in its sixth week, has caused widespread destruction, with thousands reported killed across the region.