The shooting occurred at approximately 14:30 local time at the HuQQabaz restaurant in the Empire neighborhood off the Airport Road in an upscale frequented by expatriates.
“An official of our Consulate General in Erbil has been martyred as a result of a heinous attack, while he was outside of our Consulate compound,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We have requested the Iraqi and regional authorities to find the perpetrators of the attack swiftly. We wish Allah’s mercy upon our martyr, extend our condolences to his family and the Turkish Nation,” it added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the attack and said in a tweet that Ankara was in contact with local and Iraqi officials to coordinate the hunt for the perpetrators. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Ankara would send a delegation to assist in the investigation if needed.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the shooting in a restaurant in Erbil today, which led to the deaths of a Turkish diplomat and a civilian, and injured one other,” the Asayish said in a statement.
“The government has launched a full investigation and contacted senior Turkish diplomats to offer condolences and provide assistance.”
“We assure our citizens and foreign diplomats in particular that all necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety and security of the Kurdistan Region and its peoples,” the statement concluded.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry also condemned the killing and said that it was working closely with local authorities in Erbil to find the perpetrators.
“The Ministry believes that this crime will not undermine the momentum of the historical and strategic relations between Baghdad and Ankara and will not dissipate the efforts of the two friendly countries to continue steady rapprochement and realize the common interests that Iraq has long been keen to maintain.”
The ministry later tweeted that Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim spoke with Cavusoglu by phone.
NRT reported that a number of attackers opened fire on a group of consulate staff who were dining at the restaurant, before fleeing the scene.
The security forces have been deployed around venue and set up checkpoints throughout the city.
The US Embassy in Baghdad tweeted a condemnation of the attack on its Turkish counterparts.
“The U.S. Mission condemns the heinous attack on members of the Turkish Consulate in Erbil. We extend our condolences to the Turkish Mission and express our solidarity in the defense and safety of foreign diplomats and diplomatic missions in Iraq.”
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