U.S. Embassy struck by gunfire, 2 arrested

ISTANBUL — Shots were fired from a moving car at the U.S. Embassy in Turkey before dawn Monday, an attack that came during heightened tensions between the two NATO allies.

There were no casualties and no claim of responsibility for the attack in Ankara, in which three of the six bullets that were fired hit the embassy gate and a reinforced window.

“We can confirm a security incident took place at the U.S. Embassy early this morning. We have no reports of any injuries and we are investigating the details,” embassy spokesman David Gainer said. He thanked Turkish police for their “rapid response.”

Ankara governor’s office said two people were detained and both confessed. They were apprehended along with a 9-millimeter gun.

Turkish officials, who are locked in a trade and diplomatic dispute with the United States, condemned the shooting.

The interior minister said the motive for the attack was not immediately clear. Suleyman Soylu said the investigation would reveal whether it’s a “provocation following recent events” or a “common crime.”

Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey are high, partly because of the case of Andrew Brunson, an American pastor who is being prosecuted in Turkey for alleged espionage and terrorism-related offenses that he denies. President Trump has called for his immediate release.