Turkish law enforcement officers fatally shot an assailant during an armed confrontation outside the structure that houses Israel’s consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, officials and eyewitnesses confirmed.
The violent encounter brings attention to Turkey’s extensive record of extremist violence spanning nearly a decade. Here’s a chronological overview of significant terrorist incidents that have occurred across the country:
December 29, 2025 – Six Islamic State fighters and three Turkish law enforcement officers died during armed combat in Yalova, located in Turkey’s northwest region.
September 8, 2025 – Authorities detained a teenager, age 16, in connection with the fatal shooting of two officers during an assault on a police facility in Izmir, a western Turkish municipality.
October 24, 2024 – A pair of armed assailants murdered five individuals at TUSAS, Turkey’s premier aerospace company in Ankara. Officials attributed the assault to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) extremist organization.
January 28, 2024 – Two masked shooters fatally wounded one person while attacking a religious service in Istanbul. Law enforcement apprehended the suspects and established connections to Islamic State.
October 1, 2023 – Two militants set off an explosive device outside government facilities in Ankara, killing themselves and injuring two law enforcement officers. The PKK took credit for the bombing.
November 13, 2022 – An explosion on a crowded Istanbul street resulted in six deaths and 81 injuries. Turkish officials accused the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which they regard as a PKK affiliate, though both organizations rejected involvement.
January 5, 2017 – A vehicle bomb in Izmir claimed the lives of one police officer and one court worker. Officials determined PKK members carried out the attack.
December 31, 2016 – Islamic State accepted responsibility for a New Year’s Eve mass shooting at an Istanbul entertainment venue that resulted in 39 fatalities.
December 17, 2016 – A car bomb explosion killed 13 military personnel in Kayseri. A PKK splinter group claimed the attack.
December 10, 2016 – Dual explosive attacks near an Istanbul football stadium killed 44 people, primarily law enforcement officers. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), affiliated with PKK, claimed responsibility.
August 26, 2016 – A suicide truck bomb targeting a police station in southeastern Turkey killed no fewer than 11 people. The PKK claimed the operation.
August 20, 2016 – A suicide bomber struck a wedding celebration in Gaziantep, killing at least 51 attendees. President Tayyip Erdogan stated the perpetrator had Islamic State connections.
June 28, 2016 – A coordinated attack involving three suicide bombers and gunmen at Istanbul’s primary airport killed 45 and injured more than 160. The attackers, believed connected to Islamic State, received life imprisonment sentences.
March 19, 2016 – A suicide bomber killed four people in Istanbul, including three Israeli citizens (two holding dual U.S. citizenship) and one Iranian national. A Turkish Islamic State member was responsible.
March 13, 2016 – An explosive-laden vehicle detonated at a busy transportation center in Ankara, killing 37 people. TAK claimed responsibility.
February 17, 2016 – A car bomb targeted military transport vehicles near the armed forces headquarters, parliament, and additional government structures in Ankara, killing 28 and wounding many others. TAK claimed the attack.
January 12, 2016 – A suicide bomber killed at least 10 individuals, predominantly German visitors, in Istanbul’s historic district. Authorities attributed the incident to Islamic State.
October 10, 2015 – Twin bomb attacks outside Ankara’s central railway station killed more than 100 people. Turkish courts gave life sentences to the perpetrators, who had Islamic State ties.
September 8, 2015 – PKK fighters killed 15 law enforcement officers in the eastern provinces of Mardin and Igdir.
July 20, 2015 – An Islamic State suicide bomber killed over 30 people, mainly young students, in Suruc, a predominantly Kurdish community near Syria’s border.
