One gunman killed and two injured in shooting at Israeli consulate in Istanbul

One gunman killed and two injured in shooting at Israeli consulate in Istanbul

A shooting near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul resulted in one assailant being killed and two others wounded, according to Turkish officials. The incident, described by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a “heinous act of terror,” unfolded during a daylight gunfight. The Interior Minister, Mustafa Ciftci, confirmed that the attackers arrived in Istanbul from Izmit via a rental car and were related by blood.

“We will not allow the climate of trust in Turkey to be damaged by such vile and timed provocations as today’s,” Erdogan stated in a social media post.

Ciftci also disclosed the identity of the deceased attacker, Yunus E.S., who was linked to a terrorist group leveraging religious extremism. However, no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack. Local authorities initially reported two fatalities but later corrected that only one attacker had died, with the remaining two sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.

“Intensive digital communication has been detected among the three neutralised terrorists, and the interrogation of the injured terrorists continues,” the interior ministry added in a statement.

The two injured attackers, identified as Onur Ç and Enes Ç, were brothers. Governor Davut Gul noted that the assailants employed rifles and pistols during the attack. He further clarified that no Israeli diplomatic staff were present at the time, as the consulate in the Besiktas business district has been vacant for over two-and-a-half years due to worsening ties with Israel over the Gaza conflict.

Witnesses reported hearing “loud” gunfire that intensified for 15 to 20 minutes. Social media footage allegedly shows an armed attacker being shot and collapsing. Unverified clips depict police vehicles and a heavy security presence around the site, which was closed for several hours following the incident. An investigation into the attack has now been initiated by the justice ministry.