A Turkish woman employee was seriously wounded in an armed attack on Tuesday at Sweden's honorary consulate in the western province of Izmir, officials and media reports said.

The local governor's office said the attack was carried out by a "mentally disabled" person in the Konak district of Izmir at 0945 GMT.

It did not make mention of the consulate.

The attack took place outside Sweden's honorary consulate, the private NTV broadcaster reported. The wounded woman, who was working as a secretary at the diplomatic mission, was in critical condition, it added.

Turkish authorities detained the assailant with the gun and launched an investigation into the incident, the governor's office said.

Honorary consulates represent their nationals' interests abroad but are not run by professional diplomats.