The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a shooting at a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul on Sunday, marking the group’s first attack in Turkey since 2017.
two masked gunmen fired a gun A Sunday service was held at Istanbul’s Santa Maria Church shortly before noon local time. One person was reportedly killed in the attack. This church is located in Istanbul’s Sarye district, which has a large European population.
Local authorities initially believed the shooting was a targeted assassination, but later announced that the only way to prevent further casualties was to intercept the gunman’s gun.
The only victim is identified As Tansar Sihan, 52 years old, reportedly He was a Turkish member of the Alevi Muslim minority and occasionally visited the church. Cihan’s relatives told local media that he suffered from a “mild mental disorder.”
“According to the priest, he always went to church, and the priest knew him and called him a ‘good man,'” said Sukur Genz, head of the Sarje district. Said on monday.
A view inside the Santa Maria church on January 29, 2024, a day after two gunmen opened fire on people attending Sunday services, killing one person, in Istanbul’s Sarye district of Turkiye. (Beyza Comert/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, immediately condemned the attack. “He is taking the necessary measures to arrest the perpetrators,” Erdogan promised.
Dozens of arrests were made on Sunday and Monday, including two gunmen described by Interior Minister Ali Elikaya as “Tajikistan and Russian” and believed to be members of ISIS.
By Tuesday morning, Turkish police had searched 30 locations and arrested 47 people in connection with the attacks.
“We will never tolerate those who seek to destroy the peace of our country: terrorists and their collaborators, domestic and foreign criminal groups, and those who aim at our unity and cohesion,” Erikaya said.
ISIS alleged liability It reported on Tuesday’s attack through its “news service” Amaq. The statement also included a photo of the masked gunmen, who it said “attacked a gathering of non-Christians during a polytheistic ritual.”
Funeral for Tanser Murat Cihan, who was killed during mass at Santa Maria Italia Church in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 29, 2024. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/dia Image via Getty Images)
The statement said the church attack was carried out “in response to a call by Islamic State leaders to attack Jews and Christians everywhere.”
An ISIS statement said one person was killed and another injured in the attack, but Turkish authorities said no one was injured other than Tanser Cihan.
Witold Lesniak, the Polish consul in Istanbul, was one of the 40 people in the church at the time of the attack. attended I serve with my wife and two children.erdogan talked He spoke with Lesniak on Sunday and expressed his “condolences and prayers to the entire community.”
turkey arrested In early January, 25 ISIS members were arrested on suspicion of planning attacks on churches and synagogues. The last mass casualty incident by ISIS in Turkey was 2017 Nightclub Shooting Thirty-nine people from various countries including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Canada, India and Israel were killed in Istanbul.
