Two assailants armed with knives targeted the embassy exchanging gunfire with police.
Advertisement
The Ankara governor’s office has said that the suspect seems to be mentally unstable, with no connections to any organization found yet, Reuters reports. The governorate said Çalışkan shouted slogans as he tried to storm the heavily protected embassy but did not elaborate. The staff of the Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations (UOSSM) were in two ambulances that had been called to take some patients for specialised treatment. “The assailant was shot and wounded by a local security man”.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon told The Associated Press that all Israeli Embassy staff were safe.
A statement from the Israeli Embassy said the assailant acted alone and tried to stab a Turkish police officer.
Turkey faces multiple security threats, including Islamic State militants, who have been blamed for bombings in Istanbul and elsewhere, and Kurdish militants, following the resumption of a three-decade insurgency in the mainly Kurdish southeast previous year.
Several embassies in Ankara were closed last week amid reports of a possible attack.
Embassy officials said there were no casualties.
A Turkish flag flutters atop the Turkish embassy as an Israeli flag is seen nearby, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 26.
Israel had already offered compensation and an apology over the raid. Israel has already allowed Turkey to send in humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
A private Turkish newspaper reported that Çalışkan was heard shouting, “I will change the Middle East”.
In June a triple suicide bombing killed dozens of people and injured over 140 at Istanbul’s main airport. Israel subsequently upgraded its security advice for Turkey, encouraging citizens to leave.
The incident comes amid persistent security concerns across Turkey about attacks on diplomats, Westerners, and tourists.
Advertisement
Israel and Turkey are working to fix years of hard relations.
