ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Turkish woman was wounded in an armed attack on the Swedish honorary consulate in Turkey’s western Izmir province on Tuesday, officials said.
According to a statement from the city’s governor, the consulate was attacked at 12:45 pm local time, by a “mentally disabled” gunman. The injured woman, who works as a secretary at the consulate, is in critical condition.
The gunman was arrested by the city’s police forces, statement from the governor added.
The attack comes at a time of increased tension between Sweden and Muslim countries, including Turkey, over several protests involving the burning of the Quran in Stockholm. However, the reason behind the attack remains unclear.
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc condemned the attack in a tweet, saying that a judicial investigation has been launched into the incident.
“Necessary judicial investigations have been initiated to clarify this painful incident,” Tunc said.
The Swedish foreign ministry’s press service in Stockholm told AFP that it was “in close contact” with the general consulate in Istanbul, which in turn was in contact with the honorary consulate in Izmir.
"Sweden's general consul will travel to Izmir tomorrow to be informed of the situation and express her condolences,” AFP cited the ministry as saying, adding that measures were being taken to address the issue.
An honorary consulate represents a country’s national interests but is not run by professional diplomats. Sweden’s embassy and general consulate are located in the capital Ankara and Istanbul respectively.
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