A man was killed during mass at an Italian Catholic church in Istanbul on Sunday by two masked assailants who opened fire and were eventually arrested by Turkish police.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack via social network Telegram.
Turkish authorities had previously said the attack appeared to target a specific individual rather than the Santa Maria Church, located in the Sarır district on the European side of Istanbul.
The victim, who attended the celebration, was identified as C. T was done by, according to the Home Minister.
Two attackers were arrested as they tried to escape, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in the evening.
In footage captured by security cameras before the attack, two men can be seen wearing black masks and with their hands in their pockets. One of them has sunglasses.
According to local officials, about forty people participated in the mass.
The attack took place at 11:40 am local time (08:40 GMT). “After the second shot, the gun no longer worked, so the attackers fled. At that time, everyone was lying on the ground. There were 35 to 40 people inside,” the district mayor, Sukru Janke, told the press. .
No one was injured in the attack, according to Istanbul Governor Davut Gul.
– “Heinous Attack” –
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier assured that “necessary measures” had been taken to arrest the attackers, whose motive remained unknown.
Pope Francis expressed his “closeness” to this Church community from Rome. “We strongly condemn this heinous attack,” he added.
Italy’s foreign minister also expressed his “condemnation” and his “condemnation”.
The attack comes more than a week after a meeting in Istanbul between Mr Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“Our security forces are thoroughly investigating the case,” said Omar Celik, a spokesman for the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party). “Those who threaten the peace and security of our citizens will never achieve their goals.”
The city’s popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, said: “We will never welcome in our city those who target our unity and our peace by attacking places of worship.”
In December, Turkish security forces arrested 32 suspects, alleged members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, who were planning attacks against synagogues, churches and the Iraqi embassy. The arrests were made in nine different cities, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks in Turkey, including an attack on an Istanbul nightclub on January 1, 2017, that killed 39 people.
Published at 10:25 pm on January 28, AFP
