Teenager arrested after two Turkish police officers killed in gun attack in Izmir

A 16-year-old has been arrested over the killing of two officers in a gun attack on a police station in the western Turkish city of Izmir on Monday, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.

The attack took place in the city's Balcova district, leaving two officers wounded, one seriously.

Speaking to reporters, Izmir's governor, Suleyman Elban, said they were taken to hospital, adding that the assailant was also injured and captured.

"We are investigating the incident from multiple perspectives," he said, adding that the suspect had no criminal record or prior arrests.

Officials have not indicated a possible motive. CCTV footage showed an assailant in a black balaclava firing a rifle at the station from across the street.

Subsequent state broadcaster TRT footage showed the attacker shooting along a road before collapsing with a leg injury and repeatedly shouting "Allahu akbar" as police arrested him.

Izmir has previously been targeted in militant attacks, including a 2017 car bombing that killed two people.

Over the years, Turkey has faced attacks from Kurdish militants, Islamist groups, and far-left organisations, often targeting security forces and state institutions.

In his address at an opening ceremony of the 2025-2026 school year in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered his condolences over the loss of lives and wished swift recovery to the wounded officers.

Stressing that the suspected perpetrator had been caught, Erdogan said the suspect's connections were under investigation.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc also said on NSosyal that a judicial investigation into the attack had been launched by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

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