ISTANBUL — At least two attackers were killed and one was seriously injured in a gunfight between police and assailants outside the building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, according to Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci. Three attackers were neutralized after the gunfight with police outside Yapi Kredi Plaza on Buyukdere Street in Istanbul’s Besiktas district, while two officers were lightly injured, Ciftci said. An investigation has been launched into the incident, Turkey’s justice minister said. Akin Gurlek said on X that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office “immediately initiated an investigation.” He said prosecutors swiftly arrived at the scene and began on-site examinations, adding that the probe is being carried out “meticulously and in a multi-faceted manner” in coordination with law enforcement units. Initial findings indicate that the attack targeted Turkish police officers deployed in the area. Efforts are ongoing to fully clarify the circumstances of the incident, Gurlek added. The three attackers involved in the gunfight had links to an organization that “exploits religion”, Ciftci said, adding that two of them were brothers. Reuters video showed police officers pulling out guns and taking cover as shots rang out for at least 10 minutes. One person was covered in blood. Other footage obtained by Reuters showed an apparent attacker moving among parked white police and security buses and firing over several minutes with an automatic rifle and handgun. Two bodies lay on nearby streets and grassy areas. Since the Hamas-Israel war began in 2023, a heavily armed police presence has been maintained in the area near the Israeli consulate. A source said there were no Israeli diplomats stationed in Turkey currently. — Agencies
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