One dies of heart attack and five detained protesting Israel in İstanbul

The Istanbul Governor's Office issued a press statement regarding the protest demonstrations held in front of the Israeli Consulate on the evening of October 17 (Tuesday).

The statement mentioned that during the protest demonstrations, one person suffered a heart attack and passed away, and five individuals who caused disturbances were taken into custody. The statement also indicated that 43 people, including 63 police officers, were injured during the events.

The statement reads as follows:

"On October 17, 2023, a group of our citizens who gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul to protest Israel's bombings of civilians in Gaza took action to enter the consulate building. They launched attacks with stones, sticks, torches, and fireworks against our security forces, nearby buildings, and the consulate."

"Our law enforcement authorities intervened to prevent incidents that would have had irreversible consequences by preventing the group from entering the consulate building. Additionally, five individuals who were identified as having crossed the police barrier and attacked law enforcement officers were taken into custody. During the protest demonstration, our fellow citizen Eshabil Tüfekçi, born in 1958, who was present at the scene, suffered a heart attack and was transported to the hospital."

"Despite the interventions made, he could not be saved and lost his life. In the events, a total of 63 of our citizens, including 43 police officers, were injured. Being forced to intervene during this sensitive time has deeply saddened us. We strongly urge our fellow citizens who want to express their reactions to Israel's bombings -which resemble terror attacks- to refrain from actions that will cause nonrecoverable results while expressing their reactions." (EMK/PE)