Wikipedia
Two individuals were shot dead during an attempted attack on a courthouse in Istanbul, according to Turkey's interior minister. Six people, including three police officers, sustained injuries in the confrontation. Turkey's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya reported that the man and woman were killed while attempting to assault a security checkpoint at the Caglayan courthouse at 11:46 AM local time (08:46 GMT). Yerlikaya praised the heroic actions of the police officers involved and wished a speedy recovery to the injured individuals.
The Caglayan courthouse, also known as the Istanbul Justice Palace, is located in the Kagithane district on the city’s European side. Inaugurated in 2011, it is Europe's largest courtroom with stringent security and multiple entrances.
Bugün saat 11.46’da İstanbul Çağlayan Adliyesi C Kapısı önündeki kontrol noktasına saldırı girişiminde bulunulmuştur.
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) February 6, 2024
1’i kadın 1’i erkek 2 saldırgan ölü ele geçirilmiştir. 3’ü polis memuru olmak üzere 5 kişi yaralanmıştır.
Kahraman polislerimizi tebrik ediyorum.…
Camera footage released by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency captured the assailants being confronted and ultimately neutralized on the courthouse's forecourt. The attackers engaged in gunfire with police before being fatally shot.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as people sought refuge or fled to safety within the courthouse premises. Police officers provided assistance to a man who appeared to have sustained a leg injury.
İçişleri Bakanı Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya):
— GÜLSÜM TATLIPINAR (@gulsum_ofc) February 6, 2024
"Bugün Çağlayan Adliyesi C Kapısı önündeki kontrol noktasına yönelik terör saldırısı girişimi gerçekleşmiştir.
Etkisiz hale getirilen E.Y. ve P.B adlı hainlerin DHKP/C terör örgütüne üye oldukları tespit edilmiştir." pic.twitter.com/EKeryxRkyn
Yerlikaya later identified the attackers as alleged members of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), a far-left group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the incident immediately after the encounter.
The attempted attack occurred on a day when Turkey was celebrating the anniversary of a devastating earthquake in the country’s south, which claimed the lives of over 53,000 people.
Although the DHKP/C has been relatively inactive in recent years, it gained notoriety for a hostage-taking incident at the same courthouse in March 2015. The group demanded information regarding the police killing of a teenager during anti-government protests the year before, resulting in a fatal confrontation with law enforcement.
The DHKP/C also claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara in February 2013, resulting in the death of a Turkish security guard and injuries to four others. Last month, an attack on an Istanbul church claimed by the Islamic State group left one person dead.
