Al-Qaeda suspected in shootout outside US consulate in Istanbul

10/07/2008

Gunmen attacked the US consulate in Istanbul, precipitating a deadly shootout. Three of them and three police officers were killed.

By Ahmet Gormez for Southeast European Times in Istanbul -- 10/07/08

A Turkish forensics expert inspects the scene in front of the US consulate in Istanbul following Wednesday's (July 9th) attack. [Getty Images]

Gunmen suspected of affiliation with al-Qaeda opened fire on the US consulate in Istanbul's police checkpoint around 11am on Wednesday (July 9th). Turkish policemen guarding the mission fired back, aided by two traffic policemen. Those two officers and one officer stationed at the checkpoint died. The police killed three of the gunmen in the exchange, which reportedly lasted for five or six minutes.

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler said there were four attackers. Return fire by police killed three of them, but the fourth escaped in a grey car. Guler said two of the three dead gunmen were Turkish citizens and that the identity of the third remained unestablished.

Guler identified the targeted entrance as the one for visa requests, saying that, since the consulate has heavy security, the terrorists struck knowing that they could not gain entry.

Turkish police suspect an al-Qaeda link to the attack, Turkish media reported. According to the Sabah daily, the three assailants had links to al-Qaeda's Afghani branch, which became known for the train bombing in Madrid in 2004.

The Turkish daily Milliyet reported that the gunmen probably planned to make a quick getaway but that the two traffic officers blocked their escape route and doomed them by coming to the checkpoint's aid.

According to Dogan News Agency correspondent Gokhan Danaci, who watched security camera footage, the terrorists emerged from a parking lot near the consulate. They jumped out of their car, shooting at traffic officers, and ran about 50m up to the checkpoint.

Enis Yilmaz, an eyewitness, said: "We saw a car moving, then we heard gunfire." Another eyewitness, Huseyin Tuzmen, said, "I jumped into a refrigerator out of fear."

The Turkish foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack. Reportedly, Ankara has upgraded security measures for US missions and their personnel.

Ross Wilson, US ambassador to Turkey, denounced the "obvious act of terrorism" aimed at the United States.

"The persons who lost their lives are Turkish citizens, and we are very sad about that," Ross Wilson told reporters in Ankara. "We'll not be deterred in any way by terrorists who are seeking to strike at us or at US-Turkish relations."

"The Turkish police responded quickly and effectively. We are deeply grateful for the work that they do to protect our official US government establishments here," Wilson said. "It is, of course, inappropriate now to speculate on who may have done this or why. ... Our countries will stand together and confront this, as we have in the past."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan about the attack.

"Obviously first of all, the United States deeply regrets the loss of life, and condolences go out to the families of those who were killed," Rice said Wednesday. "I know that some policemen were among those who died, and we very much appreciate what was clearly a very rapid and proper response from the government to try to deal with the security situation in front of our consulate."

Despite speculation to the contrary, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for an official visit to Iraq Wednesday. Until the last minute there was uncertainty whether Erdogan would depart -- State Minister Besir Atalay earlier announced that the ongoing investigation of the attack and the need to attend the policemen's funerals would keep him and Erdogan from going to Iraq.

In Baghdad, Erdogan is expected to meet top Iraqi officials, including President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.