Islamic State shoots worshipper in Istanbul
Terrorist group claims responsibility for gun attack at Roman Catholic church during mass
THE Islamic State group said it carried out a gun attack on a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul during mass yesterday, killing one parishioner.
The attack saw two masked assailants storm into the Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district shortly before midday local time and open fire in what appeared to be a targeted killing.
Footage of the incident circulating online showed the congregation standing when the gunmen entered, after which the worshippers quickly dived to the floor. The two men were seen fleeing the church after shooting the parishioner dead.
Turkish officials said it appeared to have been a targeted attack against one individual, rather than against the Catholic church. Officials said about 40 people were inside at the time.
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the shooting later yesterday, saying it was in response to a call by the group’s leaders to target Jews and Christians.
Ali Yerlikaya, the interior minister, said yesterday evening that two murder suspects had been apprehended, without saying what the motive for the attack was or who had carried it out.
He identified their victim only by the initials “CT” and no information was given about the types of weapons that the attackers used.
The attack was swiftly condemned by Pope Francis and Turkish officials.
“I express my closeness to the community of the Church of St. Mary Draperis in Istanbul, which suffered an armed attack during Mass that killed one person and injured several others,” Pope Francis said at the end of his weekly Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, expressed his condolences over the attack and predicted that the killers would be found within 24 hours.
Davut Gul, the governor of Istanbul, said in televised remarks at the scene of the attack that the victim was a 52-yearold Turkish citizen and that no other people had been injured.
The victim’s nephew identified the man killed as Tuncer Cihan, the Associated Press reported. Cagin Cihan said that “he was a mentally disabled individual who had no connection to politics or (criminal) organisations. He went there on an invitation and was a victim of fate”, saying that the target was the church and not his uncle.
In December, Turkish security forces detained 32 suspects with alleged Islamic State links who were said to be planning attacks on churches and synagogues. The Islamic State group, as well as Kurdish militants, were blamed for a series of attacks in Turkey’s major cities between 2015 and 2017.