Three gunmen open fire outside Israeli consulate in Istanbul, labeled as ‘terrorists’ by Turkish official

(SeaPRwire) –   A shootout between police and attackers outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, resulted in one attacker killed, two others injured, and two police officers suffering minor injuries.

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated on X that the armed attackers were linked to an activist group that “exploits religion.”

“We have identified the terrorists’ identities,” he posted in a message translated by X. “It has been confirmed that the individuals—who traveled to Istanbul from Izmit in a rental vehicle—include one person with ties to a religion-exploiting organization; additionally, one of the two brothers among the terrorists has a drug-related record.”

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack denounced the attack and commended Turkish authorities.

“The United States strongly condemns today’s attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul,” Barrack wrote on X. “Attacks on diplomatic missions are assaults on the international order—and a violation of the principles that bind nations together. We praise Türkiye and its security forces for their swift and decisive response.”

As gunfire rang out for at least 10 minutes near a permanent security checkpoint close to the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, police officers drew their weapons and took cover. A person covered in blood was seen amid the glass towers in the heart of the city’s main financial district.

Footage obtained by Reuters showed a suspected attacker—wearing a dark top and carrying a backpack—moving among parked white police and security buses while firing an automatic rifle and a handgun.

Two bodies lay on nearby streets and parking areas, near grassy spots.

Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters at the scene that two police officers sustained minor injuries in the attack.

He noted that no Israeli diplomatic staff had been present at the consulate for two and a half years, ever since the 2023 Hamas-Israel war began, which led to a deep chill in Turkish-Israeli diplomatic relations.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed there were no staff at the consulate at the time of the shootings.

The incident occurred next to a major motorway just after midday, immediately outside the tower housing the Israeli Consulate. The gunfire echoed inside nearby bank headquarters, where thousands of workers were taking their lunch break.

Turkey, a fierce critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023, and diplomatic relations have been effectively frozen since then.

That same year, Israeli diplomats left Turkey due to security concerns after pro-Palestinian protests erupted across the country and in front of the consulate. Since then, a heavily armed police presence has been maintained in the area near the consulate.

Reuters and