There are no casualties in the drive-by attack, which is immediately condemned by Turkish authorities.
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. Officials said two people with criminal records were detained.
There were no casualties in the fleeting attack, in which three of the six bullets fired hit the embassy gate and a reinforced window in the building in Ankara.
The Ankara governor’s office named the suspects as Ahmet Celikten, 39, and Osman Gundas, 38, saying they had confessed.
Authorities seized a 9-millimeter gun and a vehicle with Ankara license plates.
Celikten had escaped prison and Gundas had several crimes on his record, including car theft, drugs and threats, the governor’s office said.
The U. S. Embassy thanked Turkish authorities, tweeting that it appreciated their “fast and professional action” in arresting the two suspects.
Turkish officials are locked in a trade and diplomatic dispute with the United States but they fully condemned the shooting. Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin tweeted that it was “an attempt to create chaos.”
A top official in Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party said the attack was a “clear provocation” and that foreign diplomats are guests of the country.
“The utmost sensitivity will be shown to ensure their security,” said the party spokesman, Omer Celik.
The governor’s office said authorities are investigating the suspects’ links.
The U. S. Embassy was planning to close at midday Monday until the end of the week for the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.
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.
He denies any wrongdoing and President Trump has called for his immediate release.
Turkey has long criticized the United States for not agreeing to hand over Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric accused by Turkish authorities of engineering an attempted coup in 2016. Gulen denies those allegations. Washington has told Turkey it must present convincing evidence for any extradition proceeding to go forward.
The Turkish lira has lost 39 percent of its value against the U. S. dollar since the beginning of the year and was hurt further by recent U. S. tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum.
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