An unidentified assailant shot dead a police officer with a rifle before committing suicide with the same weapon in a courthouse in Turkey's northwestern province of Bursa on Tuesday, state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

It cited police officials as saying that the attacker arrived at the courthouse in the Gemlik district of Bursa on Tuesday evening and shot the police officer on duty at the entrance.

The officials ruled out any terrorist connection in the incident.

Earlier, the Hurriyet newspaper reported on its website that the assailant had also wounded a lawyer and taken a hostage.

No further details were immediately available.