Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he was deeply saddened by the “horrific bomb attack” in central Istanbul.
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Four people have been killed in a suicide attack on Istiklal Street, one of the city’s busiest shopping areas.
Two planes carrying a Magen David Adom rescue mission and five Israelis – two men and three women – wounded in Istanbul landed in Israel overnight and on Sunday morning.
“There is information that it is an attack carried out by an ISIS member, but this is preliminary information, we are still checking it”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters.
Turkey is also a partner in the U.S.-led coalition against IS, and its air bases are being used to launch bombing runs against the group in neighboring Syria.
Officials said no group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Five of the Israelis who were lightly wounded in the attack were already returned to Israel in two flights overnight Sunday.
Istiklal Street is home to cafes, restaurants and foreign consulate buildings.
Another alleged IS member, Savas Yildiz, had been initially named by Turkish media as the suspected bomber.
The explosion killed five people, including the suicide bomber and injured 39 others.
The department has updated its travel advice to advise anyone planning on travelling to Turkey to exercise caution as the threat from terrorism remains high.
Turkey’s health minister, Mehmet Muezzinoglu, said the 36 people wounded in the attack included six Israelis, two Irish citizens and one person each from Iceland, Germany, Dubai and Iran. Two groups of Israeli tourists apparently came together at the popular tourist spot just before the blast resulting in the deaths of three and wounding of at least 11 Israelis.
Some residents have accused Turkey of unjust collective punishment, saying security forces have acted with impunity and killed civilians.
The only attack in Istanbul since the summer, also blamed on IS, targeted the tourist quarter of Sultanahmet.
Ban ki-MoonIn a statement released by his spokesperson, Ban said “the perpetrators of this appalling violence must be brought to justice, consistent with human rights obligations”.
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Erdogan has been accused of neglecting the fight against IS to wage a relentless offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) since a two-year-old truce between the state and the Kurdish rebels fell apart in July.
