The attacker who seriously injured two police officers in Izmir defended himself as follows.

In the Seferihisar district of İzmir, the number of arrests has risen to 12 in the incident where the suspect M.S.Ç., who opened fire on civilian police officers responding to a report of armed conflict and seriously injured 2 police officers, was taken into custody. It has been learned that in his first statement to the police, M.S.Ç. said he carried out the attack because he mistook the civilian police team for a group with whom he had a feud.

The incident occurred around 8:00 PM yesterday in the Turabiye neighborhood of Seferihisar. Armed police teams responding to the report of armed conflict were attacked. In the attack, Commissioner Furkan Hakan Aşkın and police officers İbrahim Gümüştekin and Mehmet Tozun were injured. After the initial intervention at the scene, the injured police officers were taken to 9 Eylül University Hospital, while Commissioner Aşkın was taken to Seferihisar State Hospital. It was reported that the treatment of the police officers in the hospital is ongoing.

THOUGHT THEY WERE RIVALS

Shortly after the incident, teams from the İzmir Provincial Police Department detained M.S.Ç., who carried out the attack, along with the weapon used in the crime. Moments when the locals attempted to lynch M.S.Ç., who is reported to be a former candidate for muhtar (village head), were recorded by a citizen's mobile phone camera. In operations carried out throughout the night, 11 more suspects were taken into custody. It has been learned that in his first statement to the police, M.S.Ç. said he carried out the attack because he mistook the civilian police team for a group with whom he had a feud.

INCIDENT CAUGHT ON SECURITY CAMERA

Meanwhile, the attack on the police teams was captured on security cameras. The footage shows a car arriving in front of a market on Turabi Street, and at that moment, the police officers in the street, responding to the report, being shot and collapsing to the ground.

"THE NEIGHBORHOOD SPENT THE NIGHT TENSE"

The Turabiye neighborhood, where the incident took place, also spent the night in tension. After the attack on the police teams, citizens who took to the streets chanted slogans like 'May the hands raised against the police be broken' while attacking the suspect's workplace. Citizens caused damage to the businesses with stones and sticks, while police teams tried to calm the situation.

It was reported that the suspects' procedures are ongoing.