Gunbattle near Israeli consulate
One attacker killed as police respond in Istanbul
A prolonged gunbattle near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul left one attacker dead and two wounded after exchanges with police, officials and witnesses said. The firefight, which lasted at least 10 minutes according to multiple accounts and video footage, unfolded near a permanent security checkpoint in the city's main financial district, where the consulate occupies a floor of a nearby glass tower. Footage shows an individual in a dark top and backpack moving among parked police and security vehicles while firing an automatic rifle and a handgun.
Turkish authorities said the three assailants were linked to an organization that “exploits religion”; two of the attackers were brothers from Izmit. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci and Istanbul Governor Davut Gul reported that two police officers sustained light wounds. Turkish and Israeli officials confirmed no Israeli consulate staff were present at the mission during the incident; Israeli diplomats have not been at the consulate since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war in late 2023, when protests and tensions around the mission increased.
Emergency services and heavily armed police secured the area, cordoning off streets and setting up checkpoints while investigators reviewed security footage and gathered evidence. Authorities removed the body of the slain attacker from the scene and continue probing the assailants’ identities and motives. The Turkish president condemned the incident as a “heinous” act of terrorism and praised security forces for their swift response, saying such attacks would not be allowed to undermine public trust. Medical teams attended the scene as a precaution; there were no immediate reports of consulate staff casualties. Security around diplomatic sites in Istanbul was heightened as inquiries proceeded.
