Shots fired at US embassy in Ankara

ANKARA: Gunshots were fired at the US embassy in Ankara early on Monday, without causing any casualties, Turkish and American officials said as tensions spiked between the two Nato allies.

Six shots were fired at the embassy with three bullets hitting the iron gate and exterior wall, the Ankara governor’s office said, indicating there were "no casualties". Turkish police detained one suspect in connection with the attack, the state-run Anadolu news agency, without providing any details.

Speaking to AFP, spokesman David Gainer confirmed the embassy was investigating a "security incident". "We have no reports of any injuries and we are investigating the details," he said, thanking the Turkish police for their "rapid response".

A bullet mark could be clearly seen in the window of the security booth, an AFP journalist at the scene said. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemned it as a "provocative attack" in a posting on Twitter.

"We will make sure that this incident is investigated quickly and the perpetrators are brought to justice," he said. The Turkish foreign ministry said measures were taken to "ensure the security of the US embassy in Ankara, other US missions and their personnel" across the country.

The attack took place to the backdrop of a bitter diplomatic spat between Ankara and Washington, with presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also blasted the attack as an attempt to "create chaos".