Islamic State church attack in Istanbul

Istanbul (EFE).- Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has said that the attack on the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul, which left one person dead, is the work of two foreign terrorists linked to the Islamic State (IS).

“The two detained suspects are both foreign nationals; One is from Tajikistan and the other is Russian. They are believed to belong to the Islamic State,” the minister said at a press conference.

Istanbul church attack: contradictory statements

A 52-year-old Turkish man was shot dead while no one else was injured in an attack by two masked men armed with pistols during Sunday mass at the Church of Santa Maria.

By afternoon, the Islamic State-affiliated Amaq agency had issued a statement on social media in which it attributed responsibility for the attack to two IS militants, although it assured that in addition to the dead person, there was also one injured. A claim denied by Turkish authorities.

Yerlikaya indicated in his appearance that immediately after the attack, police raided 30 different premises or residences with a provisional balance of 47 detainees.

“The statements of the suspects will be taken to clarify the blind spots,” the minister said in a press conference broadcast in video format on his X account.

He stressed, “Istanbul, the jewel in the crown of our civilization, has welcomed different religions for centuries and will continue to do so.”

major arrests

Yerlikaya said that since June 1 last year, Turkish police have conducted 1,046 raids against Islamic State, arresting 2,086 suspects, of whom 529 have been remanded in custody and 404 have been released on charges.

Since the attack on the Rina nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve 2016, Turkey, which led a military campaign against the Islamic State in northern Syria in 2016–2017, had not faced attacks attributed to jihadism.

Last December, the Turkish press reported the arrest of three Islamic State leaders, whom it claimed were preparing attacks on churches and synagogues.