A gunman was killed and two were injured in a shootout near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a 'heinous act of terror'.
Two policemen were 'slightly injured' in the gun fight, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.
Ciftci mentioned that the attackers had come to Istanbul from the city of Izmit by rental car and that two of them were brothers.
In a statement on X, the interior ministry identified the gunman killed as Yunus E.S., who is believed to have been 'connected to the terrorist organisation that exploits religion', a likely reference to the Islamic State, although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Erdogan remarked, 'We will not allow the climate of trust in Turkey to be damaged by such vile provocations as today's.'
Initial reports claimed that two attackers had died; however, local governor Davut Gul later clarified that only one had been killed.
The injured attackers were identified as Onur Ç and Enes Ç, who are brothers.
The two police officers injured were not in life-threatening condition, with one shot in the leg and the other in the ear.
'Intensive digital communication has been detected among the three neutralised terrorists, and the interrogation of the injured terrorists continues,' the interior ministry added.
Governor Gul reported that the attackers used rifles and pistols in the assault and noted that no Israeli diplomatic personnel were present at the consulate, located in Istanbul's main business district in Besiktas.
The gunfight occurred in broad daylight, with video footage capturing the moment when one armed attacker fell after being shot by police.
Witnesses described the gunfire as loud, escalating for 15 to 20 minutes.
Unverified videos showed a heavy police presence around the building, which was cordoned off for several hours.
There are currently no Israeli diplomats stationed in Turkey, as the consulate has remained empty for the past two-and-a-half years due to deteriorating relations over the war in Gaza.
The justice minister stated that an investigation into the attack has been launched.
