BREAKING: Shooting Reported Outside Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Three Dead, 2 Police Wounded
Reports of gunfire near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul have triggered a massive security response. Local police have reportedly apprehended a suspect at the scene.
Gunfire erupted near Israel’s Consulate in the Levent neighborhood of Istanbul on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a swift police response and the arrest of a suspect identified only as B.K.
According to an official statement from the Istanbul Governor’s Office (Valiliği), shots were heard around 2:30 p.m. local time near the consulate building on Talatpaşa Caddesi in the Beşiktaş district. Turkish media and eyewitnesses reported the suspect approached the area armed with a shotgun and fired approximately five to six rounds into the air in what appears to have been a protest action. He was also reportedly carrying a sword and shouted anti-Israel slogans before being confronted.
Special operations units from the Istanbul Counter-Terrorism (TEM) Branch responded rapidly. The suspect was apprehended without further incident and taken into custody. A judicial investigation has been launched.
Some social media accounts and unverified Turkish media posts claimed at least one person, possibly a police officer, was wounded, but these reports remain unconfirmed by authorities as of early afternoon.
Local media reported that three people were killed during the shooting. Police reports indicate that these people carried out the shooting and that they were neutralized.
Two police officers were wounded during the shootout.
No injuries to Israeli diplomatic staff or damage to the consulate building have been reported in official statements.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not yet issued a public comment. The consulate has been under heightened security for months amid regional tensions.
This marks the latest in a series of similar incidents near Israeli diplomatic sites in Turkey. Previous shootings in 2024 and 2025 involved individuals firing into the air as protests against Israeli actions in Gaza; in each case, the suspects were arrested quickly with no harm to mission personnel.
Police have cordoned off the area, and additional details, including the suspect’s motive and any potential links to broader unrest, are expected to emerge in the coming hours.