Istanbul gunman ends threat to take life at Cerahpasa hospital Published duration 1 February 2017

image copyright AP image caption Armed officers surrounded the hospital in Istanbul, which was evacuated on Wednesday

An armed man who locked himself into a room at a psychiatric hospital in Istanbul has ended his threat to kill himself, Turkish media report.

Patients and staff were evacuated from Cerahpasa hospital on Wednesday after a man receiving treatment at the clinic threatened to shoot himself and others.

Officers were deployed to negotiate with the man, a young police officer.

Earlier reports that the armed man had taken several people hostage proved incorrect.

The chief consultant of Cerahpasa hospital, Zekayi Kutlubay, who was evacuated from the facility, said that there had been "no hostage crises", adding that the man was "alone in the room".

Dr Kutlubay said that the man had been receiving psychiatric treatment for the past two years.

He said that the hospital had previously submitted a report stating that the man should not be permitted to carry a gun.

"His firearm was taken away," Dr Kutlubay said, adding that the gun in the officer's possession on Wednesday was not his issued firearm.

The incident comes amid tension in Istanbul following several attacks in crowded areas, including the deadly assault on the Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve which left 39 people dead.