Gunfight Near Israeli Consulate in Istanbul Leaves One Attacker Dead and Two Wounded

Three gunmen attacked the area near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul's Levent financial district on Tuesday, triggering a firefight with police that lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, leaving one attacker dead and two others wounded and in custody. The attackers, dressed in camouflage clothing and armed with long-barreled rifles and pistols, opened fire on officers stationed near the consulate building shortly after midday local time. Two police officers sustained minor injuries during the exchange. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul confirmed that the consulate building held no Israeli diplomatic staff at the time of the attack, describing the incident as "a provocative move." No group had claimed responsibility for the assault as of Tuesday evening.

Attackers traveled from Izmit in a rental car Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci, who has served in the role since February 11, 2026, identified the three attackers and disclosed key details about their backgrounds and movements. He stated that the men had traveled to Istanbul from Izmit, a city approximately 100 kilometers east of Istanbul, arriving in a rental vehicle. Two of the attackers were brothers, identified as Onur Ç. and Enes Ç., who were wounded during the firefight and subsequently taken into custody. The third attacker, identified as Yunus E.S., was killed in the exchange with police. Ciftci noted that one of the attackers had links to an organization that "exploits religion," a phrase Turkish journalists widely interpreted as a reference to ISIS, while one of the brothers had a prior criminal record related to drug trafficking. Ciftci also announced the arrest of two additional individuals believed to be connected to the perpetrators. „The identity of the terrorists has been established. It emerged that they came from Izmit and that they had arrived in Istanbul in a rental vehicle.” — Mustafa Ciftci via ANSA

Consulate empty since Israeli diplomats left in late 2023 The consulate building, located in one of the glass towers of Istanbul's main financial district in the Levent and Besiktas area, has been without Israeli diplomatic personnel for roughly two and a half years. Israeli diplomats departed Turkey in late 2023 following the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza, a conflict that prompted large pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside the consulate and across Turkey and led to a deep freeze in Turkish-Israeli diplomatic relations. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023, and ties between the two countries have remained effectively suspended since then. Governor Gul noted that the building also houses the headquarters of Turkish bank Yapı Kredi and other offices, making it a busy commercial location. The shooting occurred at midday, when thousands of nearby workers were on their lunch break, according to The Irish Times. A heavy armed police presence and armored vehicles had been stationed around the consulate since the diplomats' departure.

Militant violence in Turkey peaked between 2015 and 2016, when Islamic, Kurdish, and leftist militant groups carried out a series of attacks amid spillover from the Syrian civil war, according to The Irish Times. In a more recent incident, three Turkish police officers and six Islamic State militants were killed in a gunfight in the town of Yalova in northwest Turkey, during raids on militant cells believed to be planning attacks around Christmas and the new year, the same outlet reported. Turkey has maintained a fierce public stance against Israel's military operations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran since October 2023.

Erdogan condemns attack, Israel thanks Turkish security forces Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the incident in strong terms, calling it a "heinous terrorist attack" that would not undermine Turkey's security. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, also appointed on February 11, 2026, announced the formal opening of a criminal investigation into the attack. The Anadolu Agency reported Gurlek's announcement. Israel's Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing appreciation for the swift response of Turkish security forces, while confirming that no consular staff were present at the time. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack also condemned the attack in a post on X, characterizing it as an assault on the Israeli consulate. Investigations into the full circumstances of the attack, including the possible involvement of additional accomplices, were continuing as of Tuesday evening, according to Interior Minister Ciftci. „This heinous terrorist attack would not dent Turkey's trust and security.” — Recep Tayyip Erdogan via The Irish Times