A gunfight erupted outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, leaving one attacker dead and two others injured. Turkish authorities confirmed that the three assailants had ties to an organization described as "exploiting religion," with one identified as Yunus E.S. and the two injured attackers as brothers, Onur Ç and Enes Ç. Two police officers sustained minor injuries during the clash.
The incident occurred around 12:15 PM local time near the consulate in Istanbul's financial district, which has been unstaffed for over two years due to strained diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Israel. Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated that the attackers arrived from Izmit in a rented car and were armed with rifles and handguns. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack as a "heinous act of terror" and vowed to combat terrorism.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that no diplomatic personnel were present at the consulate during the attack. The consulate has been closed since 2023 amid escalating tensions over Israel's military operations in Gaza. Turkish authorities have maintained a heavy police presence in the area following pro-Palestinian protests and security concerns.
The gunfight lasted approximately 10 minutes, with footage showing attackers firing at police and security forces. The area was temporarily locked down, and forensic teams are investigating the scene. The motive behind the attack remains under investigation, though authorities have not yet named the specific extremist group involved.