Two masked attackers attacked an Italian church in Istanbul on Sunday, January 28, killing one person, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced. “Around 11:40 a.m., during mass in the Church of Santa Maria in the Sariyer district [une personne, identifiée par ses initiales]CT, who attended the mass, was attacked at gunpoint by two masked people and unfortunately lost his life,” the minister further announced his social networks. “We condemn this despicable attack in the strongest possible terms,” he replied.
The motive for this attack was initially unknown. “A large-scale investigation and measures to arrest the attackers have been initiated,” the interior minister also said. The attackers targeted this person in the middle of the crowd, complained Ömer Çelik, spokesman for the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party).
“Our security forces are conducting a comprehensive investigation into this matter,” he said. “Those who threaten the peace and security of our citizens will never achieve their goals. »
In December, Turkish security forces arrested 32 suspects, suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, who were suspected of plotting attacks on synagogues, churches and the Iraqi embassy. The arrests took place in nine different cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
Turkey has in recent months stepped up operations against members of IS, which has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly attacks in Turkey, including one on January 1, 2017 at an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people.
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