A shooting incident near the Israeli consulate building in Istanbul's Besiktas district has resulted in three fatalities and two police officers injured. According to Turkish media reports, the gunfire was carried out by three individuals who were subsequently "eliminated" by Turkish police. Al Jazeera correspondent Sinem Koseoglu reported that witnesses saw three people exit a car and open fire, with security forces returning fire.
The area where the consulate is located – Yapi Kredi Plaza on Buyukdere Street – is densely populated and houses numerous international businesses, with thousands of people working nearby. Koseoglu added that the Israeli consulate occupies the seventh floor of one building, and currently, no Israeli diplomats are stationed there, only local employees working for the consulate or embassy.
Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated that the attackers have been identified: they arrived from Izmit, a city about 100 km east of Istanbul, in a rental car, with one having links to "a group that exploits religion" and another, one of two brothers among the attackers, having a prior drug-related record. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul described the incident as a "provocative act," and Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that an investigation has been launched.
Mehmet Celik, editorial coordinator at the Daily Sabah newspaper, linked the incident to the ongoing regional tensions, citing the US-Israeli war on Iran and the Gaza situation, which have fueled anti-Israeli sentiment. He suggested possible motives include damaging Turkiye's prestige as a "safe and stable place" in the region, dragging Turkiye into the regional conflict, or undermining Istanbul's reputation as a diplomatic mediator city, given its role in past mediation efforts.
Celik argued that the attack should be viewed separately from Turkiye's past history, as the country is currently in a "terror-free" period, referencing the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) disarmament and changes in neighboring Syria. However, the incident raises concerns about the security of diplomatic missions in Istanbul and could negatively impact Turkiye's image as a stable actor amid regional conflicts, potentially exacerbating escalation risks.
Source: www.aljazeera.com