Far-Left Group Claims Responsibility For U.S. Consulate Attack In Turkey

Matt Vespa | August 10, 2015 4:20 PM

Yesterday two women shot at the U.S. consulate building in Istanbul, Turkey. They were reportedly part of the far-left Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army-Front, which attacked the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Ankara in 2013 (via Reuters):

The Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front (DHKP-C), considered a terrorist organization by the United States and Turkey, said one of its members was involved, and called Washington the "arch enemy" of the people of the Middle East and the world.

Turkey's foreign ministry condemned the attack and said security at U.S. diplomatic missions was being tightened. Police with automatic rifles cordoned off streets around the U.S. consulate in the Sariyer district on the European side of Istanbul.

Ahmet Akcay, a resident who witnessed the attack, told Reuters that one of the women fired four or five rounds, aiming at security officials and consulate officers.

"Police were shouting 'drop your bag, drop your bag'. And the woman was saying: 'I will not surrender'," Akcay said.

"The police warned her again: 'Drop your bag or we will have to shoot you', and the woman said: 'Shoot.'"

One of the two women was later captured wounded, the Istanbul governor's office said.

[…]

The attack came a day after the U.S. sent six F-16 fighter jets and about 300 personnel to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey as part of coalition efforts to fight Islamic State.

No U.S. personnel were injured and the consulate will be open for business on Tuesday, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in Washington. He declined to comment on any specific security measures being taken.