1 attacker killed, two hurt in gun battle with police outside unstaffed Israeli consulate in Istanbul

Two wounded assailants are brothers, who traveled from Izmit; one is associated with terror group that ‘exploits religion,’ authorities say, in possible allusion to ISIS

Three assailants opened fire at police outside a building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, sparking a gunfight that left one attacker dead, Turkish officials said. The two other assailants were injured and captured.

The attack took place around 12:15 pm local time (0915 GMT). Two police officers sustained slight injuries in the clash, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters. The assailants were carrying long-barreled weapons.

The consulate is located in a high-rise building in Levent, one of the city’s main business districts. It was not immediately clear if the intended target was the empty Israeli consulate.

Israel withdrew its diplomats amid security concerns and deteriorating relations with Turkey, soon after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.

Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel in November of that year. Diplomatic relations have been effectively frozen since then, while Turkey has hosted Hamas leaders, and its president frequently compares the Jewish state to Nazi Germany.

The two wounded assailants are brothers, identified as Onur C. and Enes C. The first has a criminal record related to drugs. Both are being interrogated, according to the Turkish interior ministry.

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

Video circulating online showed one assailant carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle, wearing a brown backpack, and hiding behind a bus when exchanging fire with police. A police officer falls to the ground, apparently having been shot, and then rolls away to get behind a tree for cover.

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said the brothers arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit, a city about 86 kilometers (50 miles) away, and that one of the assailants was affiliated with an “organization that exploits the region.”

Turkish officials would not immediately reveal the group, but Turkish media said it could be the Islamic State group (ISIS), whose members clashed with Turkish police in Yalova — which lies on the shores of the Sea of Marmara about 90 kilometers (55 miles) southeast of Istanbul.

ISIS fighters opened fire on police in Yalova in December, killing three officers and wounding nine others. Turkish police have since stepped up nationwide raids against ISIS operatives, rounding up 125 suspects after that attack.

The Turkish interior ministry also confirmed that the two police officers who were shot were “slightly injured,” one of them in the leg and the other in the ear.

Israel, US thank Turkey for ‘swift action in thwarting’ attack

In Israel, the Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the terrorist attack” in Istanbul, and thanked Turkey for stopping the gunman.

“We appreciate the Turkish security forces’ swift action in thwarting this attack,” said the ministry in a statement.

“Israeli missions around the world have been subjected to countless threats and terrorist attacks,” it continued. “Terror will not deter us.”

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack responded to the attack on X, writing: “The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul.”

“Attacks on diplomatic missions are attacks on the international order — and an assault on the principles that bind nations together,” he added, while commending Turkey and Turkish security forces for “their swift and decisive response.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.