A gunman was killed and two others wounded in a shootout Tuesday with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said, adding two officers were lightly wounded.
“This appears to be a provocative act. Two of our police officers were lightly injured," Gül said in a statement from the scene.
Speaking about the attackers, Gül said, "One of the terrorists was killed, and two others were neutralised in injured condition. Thanks to the precautions taken by our police officers, they managed to get through this major attack with only minor injuries."
Turkish public broadcaster TRT had previously reported that two of the three attackers had been killed.
Initial reports claimed Turkish security forces "neutralised" three individuals at the scene, with two killed and one wounded. The term "neutralised" is commonly used by Turkish authorities to mean killed or captured.
Authorities have identified the assailants.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said they arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit and one of the assailants was affiliated with an "organisation that exploits religion".
One of the two assailants in Tuesday's shootout — who are brothers — has a drug record, the minister said.
Turkish officials would not immediately reveal the group the attacker was linked to, but Turkish media said it could be the so-called Islamic State group, whose members clashed with Turkish police in Yalova, which lies on the shores of the Sea of Marmara about 90 kilometres southeast of Istanbul.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an immediate investigation into the incident. A deputy chief public prosecutor and two prosecutors were assigned to the case and went to the scene, according to Gürlek.
Police closed Büyükdere Street, where the consulate is located, to traffic following the incident.
Journalist Tamer Oskay, speaking on CNN Turk, said Istanbul police had taken precautions days in advance against a possible attack. According to Oskay, the three attackers aimed to reach the seventh-floor office of the consulate in a plaza building about half an hour before the shooting.
Security guards and police at the entrance became aware of the situation, Oskay said. Two of the attackers carried long-barreled weapons, according to preliminary information.
A clash erupted after police responded to the attackers' refusal to stop, Oskay said.
Authorities said a comprehensive investigation is being carried out with law enforcement units under the coordination of the chief public prosecutor's office.
It remains unclear whether the incident was a planned attack on the consulate or an isolated incident. The consulate was not operational, according to authorities.
"There has been no activity at the consulate for the past two and a half years. There is no ongoing work there, nor are there any diplomatic staff currently residing there," he added.
Turkey and Israel have had strained relations, particularly following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in October 2023. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been a vocal critic of Israeli military operations in the Strip.
