Swedish Consulate Female Staff in Türkiye Shot by Gunmen

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Florian Prischl)

JAKARTA - A gunman injured a Turkish female staff member working for the Honorary Consulate of Sweden in Izmir Province on Tuesday, the governor's office said, while the perpetrator was arrested.

The incident occurred at around 12:45 p.m. local time, according to information on the website of the Izmir Governor's Office.

The shooting victim's female staff was taken to hospital after the attack, the governor's office said, adding an investigation had been launched into the attack, reported Daily Sabah, August 2.

The woman, known as Emine T, works as a secretary at the consulate and is in critical condition at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the perpetrators of the attack were reported to have been detained after being disarmed. Authorities identified him as a "mentally unstable" person, who was registered in eastern Turkey. His nationality has not been revealed.

Meanwhile, Turkish broadcaster Haber Türk reported the incident believed to be related to a dispute over the visa application process.

There was no direct indication of a political motive behind the attack, the broadcaster added.

The Swedish Consul General will travel to Izmir on Wednesday to get more information about the incident, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said, adding they had been in dialogue with the Consulate General in Istanbul and its staff in Turkey.

The ministry also said the Consulate General is in touch with the Honorary Consulate in Izmir and with local authorities.