Three killed in gunfire near Israeli consulate in Istanbul

ISTANBUL – Three people were killed and two police officers injured after gunmen opened fire near the building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday. Turkish officials said one of the attackers was killed on the scene, while the other two were captured with injuries.

Istanbul Governor Davut Gul reported that the assailants were armed with long-barreled weapons. Video footage of the incident showed one gunman carrying an assault rifle, wearing a brown backpack, and taking cover behind a bus while exchanging fire with police.

Interior Minister Mustafa Cifti said the attackers had traveled from Izmit, about 100 kilometers east of Istanbul, in a rental car. Two of the men were brothers, and one had a prior drug-related criminal record. Cifti added that one assailant was linked to a group “exploiting religion,” though he did not name the organization.

The consulate, located on the seventh floor of a high-rise in the Yapi Kredi Plaza on Buyukdere Street in Istanbul’s Besiktas district, had no Israeli diplomats present at the time. Israel withdrew its staff from its missions in Turkiye amid security concerns and worsening relations following the war in Gaza.

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said three prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, have been assigned to lead the investigation.

Mehmet Celik, editorial coordinator at the Daily Sabah newspaper, said the attack may have been aimed at damaging Turkiye’s image as a safe and stable city and potentially drawing the country into regional conflict. “When an attack like this happens, the first thing that comes to my mind is … who does this attack benefit? And it is definitely not Turkiye,” he said.