This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/world/europe/us-consulate-istanbul-attack.html

The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Gun Battle Breaks Out at U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Gun Battle Breaks Out at U.S. Consulate in Istanbul
(35 minutes later)
ISTANBUL — Attackers opened fire outside the American Consulate here Monday morning, setting off a brief gun battle with the police, as violence in Turkey continued to escalate about two weeks after the United States agreed to cooperate more closely with the government against the Islamic State.ISTANBUL — Attackers opened fire outside the American Consulate here Monday morning, setting off a brief gun battle with the police, as violence in Turkey continued to escalate about two weeks after the United States agreed to cooperate more closely with the government against the Islamic State.
No Americans or Turkish police officers were injured in the attack, after which the two assailants fled. A team of Turkish special forces later caught an injured woman at a house in the Sariyer district who was suspected of participation in the attack, according to the semiofficial Anadolu news agency. The suspect is believed to be a member of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, an anti-American group that has been banned, Anadolu reported. No Americans or Turkish police officers were wounded in the attack, after which the two assailants fled. A team of Turkish special forces later caught an injured woman at a house in the Sariyer district of Istanbul who was suspected of taking part in the attack, according to the semiofficial Anadolu news agency.
The attack on the consulate was one of several violent episodes across the country on Monday, which some attributed to an uptick in clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants in the southeast. The suspect is believed to be a member of the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, an anti-American group that has been banned, Anadolu reported. The consulate said in a statement that it was working with the Turkish authorities to investigate the attack, and that it would be closed to the public until further notice.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack at the consulate, which came hours after a bomb attack at an Istanbul police station left one officer dead and at least 10 people wounded. Two people believed to be involved in the bombing were killed in a shootout, according to reports in the Turkish news media. The attack on the consulate was one of several violent episodes across the country on Monday, which some attributed to a rise in clashes between Turkish security forces and Kurdish militants in the southeast.
Turkey, a member of NATO, recently began taking a more active role in the American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and has granted American warplanes access to its air bases, to help strike Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack at the consulate, which came hours after a bomb attack at an Istanbul police station left one officer dead and at least 10 people wounded. Two people who were believed to be involved in the bombing were killed in a shootout, according to reports in the Turkish news media.
The attack on the consulate on Monday came a day after the United States military said it had dispatched six fighter jets to the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. Turkey, a member of NATO, recently began taking a more active role in the American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and it has granted American warplanes access to its air bases, to help strike Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq.
The decision by Turkey to play a bigger role in the fight against the Islamic State was welcomed by the United States, which for more than a year has been sharply critical of Turkey for failing to do more in the fight against the militants. That decision appears to have led to increased instability inside Turkey, however, partly because Turkey’s increased aggressiveness against the Islamic State has coincided with a renewed conflict with the Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or P.K.K., which for more than three decades has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state. The attack on the consulate on Monday came a day after the United States military said it had sent six fighter jets to the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey.
The decision by Turkey to play a bigger role in the fight against the Islamic State was welcomed by the United States, which for more than a year has been sharply critical of Turkey for failing to do more in the fight against the militants.
That decision appears to have led to increased instability inside the country, however, partly because Turkey’s increased aggressiveness against the Islamic State has coincided with a renewed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K., which for more than three decades has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state.
That long conflict waned in recent years as a fragile cease-fire took hold, and the P.K.K. and its affiliates began fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Turkey has been particularly alarmed by the situation in Syria, where an offshoot of the P.K.K. has had success fighting the militants — with American support — and Syrian Kurds have begun to carve out an autonomous enclave in an area that abuts the Turkish border. Turkey views this a security threat, as it could incite Kurds in Turkey to seek more autonomy.That long conflict waned in recent years as a fragile cease-fire took hold, and the P.K.K. and its affiliates began fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria. Turkey has been particularly alarmed by the situation in Syria, where an offshoot of the P.K.K. has had success fighting the militants — with American support — and Syrian Kurds have begun to carve out an autonomous enclave in an area that abuts the Turkish border. Turkey views this a security threat, as it could incite Kurds in Turkey to seek more autonomy.
There were two attacks on Monday in the Kurdish-dominated southeast, where tensions have flared in recent weeks as citizens prepare for the return of a war they had hoped was ending as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pursued peace talks.There were two attacks on Monday in the Kurdish-dominated southeast, where tensions have flared in recent weeks as citizens prepare for the return of a war they had hoped was ending as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pursued peace talks.
In one of the attacks, a roadside bomb in Silopi killed four police officers, according to local news reports. A Turkish soldier was killed in a separate attack after Kurdish militants opened fire at a military helicopter in the southeastern province of Sirnak, the military said in a statement.In one of the attacks, a roadside bomb in Silopi killed four police officers, according to local news reports. A Turkish soldier was killed in a separate attack after Kurdish militants opened fire at a military helicopter in the southeastern province of Sirnak, the military said in a statement.
The consulate attack was not the first against Americans in Turkey. In 2013, a suicide bomber struck the American Embassy in Ankara, the capital, killing a security guard. That attack was claimed by the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front, a leftist group that has sporadically attacked Turkey over the last year. The consulate attack was not the first against Americans in Turkey. In 2013, a suicide bomber struck the American Embassy in Ankara, the capital, killing a security guard. That attack was claimed by the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front.