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Man injured in Ukrainian consulate attack attempt
Özbudak came to the consulate yesterday morning and tried to enter without being searched by security officers. When the officers stopped him to search his bag, he pulled his gun on them, firing it once. The officers returned fire and he was shot before injuring anyone.
Arriving on the scene a few hours after the incident, the İstanbul Police Chief Hüseyin Çapkın said Özbudak was married to a Ukrainian woman and used to live in Ukraine. “He had some problems there and was expelled from the country. He was also imprisoned over problems with the Ukrainian police. I guess his wife is here. He apparently tried to solve his personal issues in this way. He seems to have no life-threatening injuries. He seems not to be a terrorist.”
Özbudak is thought to have gone to the consulate to take a hostage. He reportedly said that he thought the security officers were Ukrainian; after learning that the officers were Turkish, he said he did not have any problems with Turkish police.
The gunshots caused consternation among people in the neighborhood. While no casualties were reported, eyewitnesses said they heard five or six gunshots following an earlier single gunshot. Alev Karakuş, a realtor down the street from the consulate, said her office called the police after hearing the gunshots. She said police and health teams came to the scene and the consulate building was evacuated.
İrfan Irat, a resident of a building next to the consulate, said the incident occurred at about 9 a.m. and that consulate officials warned them that the attacker had a bomb. Irat also said they evacuated their building after turning off the building’s gas and electricity.
Other buildings surrounding the consulate were also evacuated following the incident. After seeking cover in a classroom facing away from the street, the students of a primary school were safely evacuated. The students said they were told that there had been a suicide bomber at the consulate.
Speaking to NTV, İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler said the incident stemmed from a personal issue and had no terrorist aspects. “The man said there was a bomb in his bag. He shot randomly with his gun. When the security officials responded, he was injured,” he said.
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