Woman wielding assault rifle shot dead as she storms Turkish police HQ

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WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
Armed woman was shot dead as she tried to attack Istanbul's police HQ
She was said to be carrying a rifle, two hand grenades and one pistol
A day earlier, prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz died from gunshot wounds
Two terrorists from Revolutionary People's Liberation Front also killed

By John Hall and Chris Pleasance and Kate Pickles and Jenny Stanton For Mailonline

Published: 15:25 EST, 1 April 2015 | Updated: 17:55 EST, 1 April 2015

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A woman armed with guns and hand grenades was shot dead as she tried to attack Istanbul's police headquarters on Wednesday just a day after a deadly hostage situation in the city.

A picture of the red-haired woman lying on the ground with a rifle strapped to her body and a handgun by her side has emerged and television footage showed police sealing off the street in the central Aksaray neighbourhood.

The attack comes a day after Turkish prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz, 46, died in hospital after members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) stormed a courthouse and took him hostage. It is not known who fired the fatal shots.

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Shot dead: A picture of the red-haired woman lying on the ground with a rifle strapped to her body and a handgun by her side has emerged

Police HQ: Television footage showed police sealing off the street in the central Aksaray neighbourhood

Armed: The woman was carrying a rifle, two hand grenades and one pistol, it said. Local media said a man had also been detained

'The Istanbul police headquarters on Vatan street was targeted by rifle fire and a female terrorist was killed in the clash,' the Istanbul governor's office said in a statement today.

The woman was carrying a rifle, two hand grenades and one pistol, it said. Local media said a man had also been detained.

Separately, police detained a gunman on Wednesday who entered an Istanbul branch of the ruling AK Party and hung from its window a Turkish flag with the emblem of a sword added.

It was not immediately clear whether any of the attacks were linked, but Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned of the risk of 'provocations' and attempts to cause chaos ahead of June's national election.

Today, the grieving family of Mr Kiraz who died after being shot in the head and chest during yesterday's courthouse siege wept over his coffin at his funeral.

His coffin was covered with the Turkish flag for his funeral at Eyup Sultan Mosque in Istanbul.

Turkish police secure the area in front of the Istanbul police headquarters where an armed woman was shot dead

People react to the shooting of an armed woman in Istanbul. She was carrying a rifle, two hand grenades and one pistol

Plain-clothed police officers block a street leading to the police headquarters in Istanbul on Wednesday April 1

Threat: The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front published disturbing photographs of the terrified prosecutor with a gun to his head on their official Facebook page before he was shot

Two of his captors were killed after security forces took back the building where the far-left group was holding him.

Gunshots were heard and smoke could be seen rising from the scene at the end of the six-hour stand-off.

Turkish authorities on Wednesday detained 22 suspected members of the group in the southern city of Antalya after receiving a tip-off they were planning further attacks, the Dogan news agency reported.

Meanwhile hundreds of lawyers, prosecutors and staff stood in respect on every floor of the giant Istanbul Caglayan Palace of Justice where Kiraz worked and the hostage drama unfolded.

'We will not forget you, our martyr,' read a gigantic banner, as a huge Turkish flag was hung from the top floor. The courthouse is to be renamed after Kiraz.

Justice Minister Kenan Ipek said the two members of the DHKP-C who took him hostage had 'held a gun to the nation'.

'We don't see this as an attack on our deceased prosecutor, but on the whole justice system,' he said at a ceremony for Mr Kiraz.

'Our state is powerful enough to track down those behind these lowlifes... The fact these assassins are dead shouldn't put those nefarious and dark forces at ease.'

Grief: The family of Mehmet Selim Kiraz grieve over his coffin during his funeral at Eyup Sultan Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. He died in hospital after he was taken hostage by the far-left organisation

Mourning: The coffin of the prosecutor was passed through the crowds of mourners gathered to pay their respects. He had been leading an investigation into the death of teenager Berkin Elvan, who died aged 15

Respects: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L), the son of killed prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz (C) and Turkish National Assembly President Cemil Cicek (R) stand by Kiraz' coffin in Istanbul

Gathering: Prosecutors, lawyers and judges stand near a statue of Lady Justice during the funeral ceremony

Defiant: Mourners at the funeral of Kiraz hold a picture of the prosecutor high in tribute to the lawyer

Mr Kiraz, a father of two married to a judge who also worked at the courthouse, was targeted for his part in an investigation into the death of Berkin Elvan.

The 15-year-old was severely wounded after being hit on the head by a tear-gas canister fired by a police officer during anti-government protests in Istanbul in June 2013.

After spending 269 days in a coma, Elvan eventually died on March 11 last year. His death, and the subsequent investigation, have since become a rallying point for the country's far-left.

Police chief Selami Altınok said officers stormed the building on Tuesday after hearing gunshots, and killed two of the gunmen.

'We carried out the negotiation for six hours. But our security forces launched the operation after gunshots were heard while terrorists were speaking on the phone during the negotiation,' he said.

Turkish president recalls grim details of prosecutor's death

Critical: Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but died of his injuries

Shattered: The broken window of the room where prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz was held hostage and shot

The emergency began at 2.36pm local time (12.36 GMT) when members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front stormed into the office of Mr Kiraz.

Images of a masked militant holding a gun to Mr Kiraz's head were then posted on the group's Facebook page, along with a demand for police to confess on live TV within the hour.

Armed police rushed to the scene and were shown escorting court officials out of the building, but there was no sign of Mr Kiraz before the deadline arrived and live TV feeds were cut.

Shots were then heard from inside the building, according to the Dogan news agency.

In a statement published by Turkish media, the hostage taking was claimed by the Marxist Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, which has been behind a string of recent attacks.

The group published pictures showing one of the militants - his face concealed by a scarf with the group's red and yellow insignia - holding a gun to Kiraz's head.

Gunfire heard from shootout in Istanbul courthouse

Standing guard: Members of security forces stand outside the main courthouse in Istanbul during the siege

Horror: The prosecutor was leading an investigation into the death of 15-year-old Berkin Elvan

Protesters: Turkish police use water cannons to disperse protesters who expressed support for an alleged militant member of the banned leftist group DHKP-C group who took Turkish Mehmet Selim Kiraz hostage

Emergency: An ambulance leaves the courthouse after police storm the building. Mr Kiraz was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries

Over: Istanbul Security Chief Selami Altinok, centre-right, and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Orhan Kapici speak to the media outside the main courthouse in Istanbul at the end of the siege

They had also plastered their flags and posters on the walls of his office.

Turkish media said that the group had given a deadline of 3:36 pm (13.36 BST) for the prosecutor to identify the police officers who they say were behind the killing of Elvan or he would be shot.

In a brief video message on a widely-followed Twitter account describing itself as that of Elvan's family, his father appeared to call on the group not to harm the prosecutor.

'We want justice. We don't want anyone to shed even a drop of blood. We don't want other mothers to cry,' Sami Elvan said.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with the current and former interior and justice ministers at the ruling AK Party headquarters in Ankara to discuss the hostage taking, officials in his office said.

Gunshots: According to the Dogan news agency, gunshots were heard from inside the building after the militant group's deadline passed

Demands: The group were demanding that Mr Kiraz name the policemen implicated in Mr Elvan's death, which has become a rallying point for the country's far-left

Courthouse exteriors as prosecutor held hostage in Turkey

The DHKP-C said on its website it wanted the police officer it blames for Elvan's death to 'confess' on television, the officers involved to be tried in 'people's courts', and charges against those who attended protests for Elvan to be dropped.

The DHKP-C blames the ruling AK Party for the killing of teenager Elvan.

He was aged 15 at the time of his death, which was followed by mass nationwide protests that were also largely put down by the police.

Elvan has since become an icon for the Turkish far-left and his supporters accuse the authorities of covering up the circumstances and perpetrators of his death.

The United States, European Union and Turkey list the DHKP-C as a terrorist organisation. It was behind a suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in 2013.

In 2001, two policemen and an Australian tourist died in a DHKP-C attack in central Istanbul.

Innocent: Berkin was on his way to buy bread during anti-government street protests when he was struck in the head by a high-velocity gas canister

Strength of feeling: Elvan has since become an icon for the Turkish far-left and his supporters accuse the authorities of covering up the circumstances and perpetrators of his death