A man was killed on Sunday when two masked assailants opened fire, apparently targeting him, in the middle of mass in a Catholic church in Istanbul, before fleeing.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences and assured that “necessary measures” had been taken to stop the attackers.
Pope Francis immediately condemned the attack and expressed from Rome his “closeness” with the community of this church.
According to Turkish authorities, the attack appeared to target a specific person rather than this Catholic church. About forty people participated in the mass, according to local officials.
The attack occurred around 11:40 a.m. (local time) at Santa Maria Church in the Sariyer district on Istanbul’s European side, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media, adding that an investigation had been opened.
“We strongly condemn this despicable attack,” added the minister.
Erdogan-Meloni meeting
According to the minister, a person who attended the celebration, simply identified by his initials C. T., was killed.
In footage taken 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.
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed his “condolences” and his “strong condemnation”, saying he was “certain that the Turkish authorities will arrest those responsible. »
The attack comes more than a week after a meeting in Istanbul between Mr. Erdogan and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The person killed was targeted in the middle of mass by the attackers, denounced Omer Celik, the spokesperson for the ruling AKP party (Party for Justice and Development).
No injuries
“Our security forces are carrying out a full-scale investigation into this matter,” he said. “Those who threaten the peace and security of our citizens will never achieve their goals.”
Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters at the scene that there were no injuries.
The motive for this attack was not immediately known.
In December, Turkish security forces arrested 32 suspects, alleged members of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, suspected of 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 one on 1er January 2017 in an Istanbul nightclub, which left 39 dead.