A gunfight broke out outside the Israeli consulate general in Beşiktaş, İstanbul, when three assailants opened fire on police officers guarding the building, İstanbul police have announced.
The incident began at around 12.15 local time (GMT+3), prompting special operations forces to be dipatched to the scene, according to the statement.
One assailant was killed and two were apprehended after being wounded during the incident, İstanbul Governor Davut Gül confirmed. Two police officers were also lightly injured.
The assailants reportedly used rifles during the attack. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
Video circulating on social media purportedly shows a police officer and an assailant exchanging fire with two vans between them. The officer then lies on the ground and shoots the assailant in the leg:
Bizim polis yere yatıp arabanın altından bacağına sıkmış. Çok yakın mesafe pic.twitter.com/N5uLYsQP7R
— Tarık (@aondemon_) April 7, 2026
The consulate is located in the Levent quarter, a business hub lined with high-rise offices. Several floors of one of the Yapı Kredi Plaza buildings house Israel’s consulate.
The mission has been largely vacant with no Israeli diplomats present, according to the İstanbul governor.
Another video apparently filmed from a nearby building purportedly shows the moments of the gunfight:
Levent'te bulunan İsrail Konsolosluğu'na saldırı düzenlendi. Yaralılar var. pic.twitter.com/JfInvEpmME
— Asayiş Berkemal (@asayisberkemal0) April 7, 2026
Interior minister implies ISIS behind attack
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi suggested ISIS involvement in the attack without naming the group, instead referring to it as "an organization that exploits religion":
“Three individuals who engaged in an armed clash with our police officers on duty in front of the Yapı Kredi Plaza Buildings in Istanbul have been neutralized. Two of our heroic police officers sustained minor injuries in the clash.
"The identities of the terrorists have been established. It has been determined that one of the individuals, who were identified as having traveled to Istanbul from Izmit in a rented vehicle, has ties to an organization that exploits religion; it has also been established that one of the two terrorists—who are brothers—has a record of drug offenses."
Statement from justice minister
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on social media that an investigation has been opened into the incident:
"The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has immediately launched an investigation into reports of gunfire near the Israeli Consulate in the Beşiktaş district of İstanbul.
"As part of the investigation, a deputy chief public prosecutor and two public prosecutors have been assigned; our public prosecutors promptly arrived at the scene and began their inquiries.
"In order to fully clarify all aspects of the incident, efforts are being carried out in coordination with the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and relevant law enforcement units, and the investigation is being conducted with meticulous care and from multiple angles."
(VK)
