Multiple Attacks Rock Turkey, a Day After Prosecutor Is Killed in Hostage Drama

Violence has erupted in multiple incidents in Turkey, a day after a prosecutor was taken hostage by militants and later died of his injuries.

On Wednesday afternoon, two assailants were apparently intercepted outside Istanbul police headquarters in what appears have been a suicide attack on the building. Istanbul Governor Vasif Sahin said that a female attacker was killed by officers at the scene, while a male assailant reportedly escaped but was later arrested.

Gunfire was heard, while the Daily Sabah reported that a person carrying a bomb was shot dead on the site. The Dogan News Agency stated that two policemen were injured.

A video released by Dogan News Agency shows the aftermath of the attack on Vatan Avenue. The street was closed to traffic after the violence broke out.

Two gunmen attacked police headquarters in — Spirit of Gezi (@SpiritOfGezi)April 1, 2015

Earlier on Wednesday, at least one armed man was detained by police in Istanbul after he broke into an office of Turkey's governing AKP party.

Meanwhile, hundreds of alleged coup plotters were acquitted in a mass trial, a Turkish Airlines plane was forced to divert for unknown reasons, and over 20 students were reportedly arrested at an Istanbul university.

Photos from today's scene at the AKP office showed the man gesticulating out of an upper window of the building, located in the Kartal district, a suburb on the Asian side of the city. A flag, draped below him, showed Turkey's national colors with an added white sword motif.

The man shouted words to locals who gathered in the street, though his speech was inaudible.

— Abdullah Ayasun (@abyasun)April 1, 2015

Sword on flag has a symbolic meaning. It looks like a Zulfiqar, the sword of Fourth Caliph Ali, regarded as the sacred imam by Shiites.

— Abdullah Ayasun (@abyasun)April 1, 2015

This comes one day after gunmen from the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP/C) group took a prosecutor hostage in an Istanbul courthouse for more than six hours. Mehmet Salim Kiraz, who was investigating the 2013 death of teenager Berkin Elvan, was rescued but later died of his injuries. The three attackers were also killed in the operation.

Related: Turkish prosecutor held hostage by militants dies after special forces storm courthouse. Read more here.

DHKP/C, leftist terrorist group, takes prosecutor of — Abdullah Ayasun (@abyasun)March 31, 2015

Kiraz was shot three times in the head and twice in the body, according to President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish journalist Abdullah Bozkurt claimed that hospital officials had disputed this account.

A large crowd attended Kiraz's funeral on Wednesday, though certain media restrictions were apparently in place.

Entire personnel pay final respects to slain Prosecutor Kiraz at ?stanbul Courthouse. Photo via — Abdullah Ayasun (@abyasun)April 1, 2015

Speaking at the funeral, Turkish Justice Minister Kenan Ipek said that the attack on Kiraz could be seen as an attack on the "whole justice system."

He added: "Our state is powerful enough to track down those behind these lowlife … The fact these assassins are dead shouldn't put those nefarious and dark forces at ease."

Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey's prime minister, said that the country would not tolerate "even for a minute" any citizens who threatened the country's security "no matter who they are or what they want."

On their website, the DHKP/C claimed that their actions on Tuesday were carried out in revenge for 15-year-old Elvan's death. The boy was killed after being hit with a tear gas canister during anti-government protests.

In May 2014, Erdogan commented on the uproar around the death, saying: "What is it? They wanted to hold a ceremony to commemorate Berkin Elvan. Will we perform a ceremony for every death? He died and it's over." He also expressed surprise that the Turkish security forces managed to remain so "patient."

It is uncertain who was behind Wednesday's assault on Istanbul's police HQ, but the DHKP/C has carried out numerous attacks on police stations in the past.

The tension between civilians and state representatives in Turkey was already on a knife-edge after a controversial public order bill was passed on Friday. The new law will allow police to use firearms against protesters, give them greater powers of stop and search, and make it a crime for participants to cover their faces at some demonstrations. Further legislation will allow Erdogan access to a hidden fund to aid with defense and intelligence gathering.

There have also been repeated crackdowns on free speech, and the Financial Times reported that more than 70 people have been prosecuted since August for "insulting" the president.

Abdullah Bozkurt, Ankara bureau chief of Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman, told VICE News that tensions are rising in Turkey, and he was worried that this is being exacerbated by the government's "exclusionary approach," as seen through the media ban on independent media outlets and a "hateful narrative stigmatizing critics."

"Most importantly," Bozkurt said, "it [has] led to the breaking down of the citizens' trust in the government which was detected in many incidents including the case of slain prosecutor yesterday and raiding of ruling party AKP's office in Istanbul's Kartal district today. The government's version of events increasingly finds less receptive ears now."

Bozhurt added that the restriction on the media had become a "pattern rather than an exception."

"The government obtained gag orders on the recent corruption scandals that incriminated senior government officials as well on the investigation on alleged arms transfers to groups in Syria. As such, the government's approach fuel suspicions of foul play, cover-up attempts, or false-flag plots even in cases where there is no hard evidence to warrant that."

Also on Tuesday, 236 suspects were acquitted after a mass trial where they faced prosecution for participation in the "Sledgehammer" alleged military coup. Suspicions about an organized coup in Turkey were roused in 2003, following a "war simulation seminar" that involved senior figures in the military. The accused plotters were said to be planning attacks, including the bombing of two major mosques in Istanbul, in an attempt to seize power from the AKP party and Erdogan, who was prime minister at the time.

According to the Dogan news agency, the trial fell apart on Tuesday after prosecutor Ramazan Oksüz described the presented digital evidence as "fake," and said it was "not possible to find any relation between the suspects and the digital data in question."

Reports are also emerging today that Turkish police have raided the Beyazit campus of Istanbul University, arresting more than 20 students. The National Turk reported that 36 people were taken into custody.

A Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Lisbon, Portugal, was also made to turn round on Wednesday, for as yet unknown reasons. Reuters reported that this is the third plane from the Turkish carrier that has been forced to divert in the last three days.

On Sunday, a flight to Japan was also turned back and one day later a plane heading for Brazil was made to land in Morocco, after suspicious notes were found in both aircraft. In the Monday incident, the note reportedly contained the word "bomb."

Police raid at — Conflict News (@rConflictNews)April 1, 2015

— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt)April 1, 2015

Related: Pro-Islamic State magazine's office bombed in Istanbul. Read more here.

Follow Sally Hayden on Twitter: @sallyhayd