A shooting outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district has left three people dead and two police officers injured, according to local media, prompting a major police response on Tuesday.
Officials have not yet confirmed the casualty figures, Reuters reports.
Footage circulating online shows an extended gun battle lasting around 10 minutes directly outside the building housing the Israeli consulate. Reports indicate that at least two attackers were killed and one seriously injured, while police returned fire.
Türkiye’s Interior Minister, Mustafa Çiftçi, said the attackers involved in the gunfight with police had links to an organisation that “exploits religion.”
According to Anadolu News Agency, Türkiye’s Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office immediately launched an investigation into reports of gunfire near the consulate. He said a deputy chief prosecutor and two public prosecutors were assigned to the case and had arrived at the scene to begin inquiries, working closely with law enforcement.
The area has remained under heightened security since the Hamas–Israel war began in 2023, though a source said no Israeli diplomats were currently stationed in Türkiye.
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