16-year-old arrested after fatally shooting 2 police officers in Turkey's Izmir

According to a report by Turkish broadcaster NTV, the teen opened fire on the police with a rifle

An armed 16-year-old teen attacked a police station in Turkey's Izmir, shooting two police officers dead, local media reported. As per reports, the attack, which took place on Monday, has injured at least six other people, including police officers.

This handout photograph taken and released by Turkish news agency DHA (Demiroren News Agency) shows Turkish special force police officers standing guard in the street in Izmir after an attack on a police station. \(AFP)

According to a report by Turkish broadcaster NTV, the teen opened fire on the police with a rifle.

The attack took place in the Balcova district of Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city. As per an AFP report, the 16-year-old assailant was arrested by officials after the shooting attack.

The motive behind the attack remains under investigation, said Izmir chief prosecutor Ali Yeldan at the scene.

As per private broadcaster NTV, the teenager carried out the attack just days after being released from custody, allegedly in retaliation for mistreatment at the police station.

Unrest in Turkey

This attack also comes amid widespread unrest in Turkey over the Erdogan government's crackdown on the opposition CHP.

The CHP has been hit by a months-long legal crackdown, which has targeted hundreds of its members - including Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival - whose March arrest triggered Turkey's largest street protests in a decade.

The heavy police presence remained in place as of Monday morning, with authorities also restricting access to major social media platforms including X and WhatsApp, internet-monitoring group Netblocks said.

Last week, a court removed the Istanbul leadership of the party, known by its Turkish initials as CHP, in an interim ruling over corruption allegations, and appointed former lawmaker Gursel Tekin as its new provincial head. Tekin is expected to arrive at the headquarters with a police escort around noon to formally start work.

Ahead of another protest, hundreds of Turkish police officers blocked access to the main opposition party’s Istanbul headquarters. In response, officials from the Republican People’s Party called the blockade a “siege” and rallied supporters around the building on Sunday night, defying a three-day ban on demonstrations announced by the provincial governor’s office in six districts of the city.