2025 Balçova police station shooting
| 2025 Balçova police station shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of Turkey–Islamic State conflict | |
| Location | Salih İşgören Police Station, Balçova, İzmir, Turkey |
| Date | 8 September 2025 |
| Target | Police officers |
Attack type |
|
| Weapon | Hatsan Escort Xtrema Orange semi-automatic shotgun[1] |
| Deaths | 4 (Including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 3 |
| Perpetrator | Eren Bigül |
| Motive | ISIS-inspired |
On the morning of 8 September 2025, Eren Bigü opended fire on the Salih İşgören Police Station in the Balçova district of İzmir, Turkey. The perpetrator was 16-year-old Eren Bigül..[2][3]
Background
IS has carried out numerous attacks on Turkey over the past decade, including a double bombing at a political rally in 2015 that killed more than 100 in the country’s deadliest terror attack.[4]
Attack
Footage posted by the Gercek Gundem news website showed a video of the assailant in a balaclava, a black top, and pale trousers jogging along the pavement carrying a shotgun while entering the building.[5] the assailant first shot and killed police officer Hasan Akın who was standing guard in front of the station. The second victim was Chief Inspector Muhsin Aydemir who was killed in the ensuing shootout. Three others were injured, including a civilian.[6] One of the injured police officers, Ömer Amilağ succumbed to his wounds in hospital.[7]
The attacker, who later died in the hospital,[3] used a Hatsan Escort Xtrema Orange semi-automatic shotgun believed to belong to his father. He was shot in the leg by police and taken into custody.[6]
Perpetrator
Eren Bigül (2009–2025) was a 16-year-old high school student living in the Balçova district of İzmir, on the same street as the Salih İşgören Police Station where the incident occurred. According to officials, he had no known criminal history. On the day of the attack, he reportedly used a shotgun, believed to belong to his father, to open fire on the police station. He was taken into custody while injured and transported to a hospital, where he later died.[3]
Link to the Islamic State
An X (formerly Twitter) account allegedly belonging to the attacker contained a post stating "I will perform a suicide attack soon and become a martyr, Allah willing," along with posts related to the Islamic State, according to reports.[8]
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Two Turkish police officers killed in police station attack, security sources say". Reuters. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ a b c merkezi, Haber (8 September 2025). "Eren Bigül kimdir, Balçova'da karakola neden saldırdı? Öldü mü?". Son Mühür - En Güncel İzmir Haberleri, Son Dakika (in Turkish). Retrieved 18 March 2026.
- ^ "Turkey arrests 161 Islamic State group suspects in a week". AP News. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ "Teen arrested after two Turkish police officers shot dead". France 24. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Teenager kills 2 police officers in attack on Turkish police station". AP News. 8 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ "İzmir'deki polis merkezi saldırısında yaralanan polis hastanede şehit oldu (Turkish) An injured officer was martyred from the police station shooting in İzmir (English)". Anatolian Agency.
- ^ "Possible Daesh-linked terrorist attack in Türkiye's Izmir leaves 2 police officers dead". Türkiye Today. Retrieved 14 September 2025.