Turkey: One Dead in an Attack on a Church During Mass

It was 11:40am local time, when two armed men burst into this small church during Mass and fired numerous gunshots in the air, shortly after the Offertory, evidently to intimidate the faithful and interrupt the ceremony. Around forty people were present in the church.

The Apostolic Vicar of Constantinople, Bishop Massimiliano Palinuro, explains that one of the faithful “who also had some mental health problems, had the courage to protest against this, probably in response to this act” and that "They responded by killing this person."

As for the motivations of the assailants, interpretations differ. According to Turkish authorities, the attack seemed to target this person in particular. There were also no other injuries. But according to the Apostolic Vicar, “the elements that seem to emerge so far suggest a religiously motivated attack, a motivation of religious intolerance.”

The prelate asked authorities that justice be done and also “for greater security and for the safety of the faithful, of the Christian community, which perseveres in the faith and courageously face very long journeys at times to attend the Eucharistic celebration.”

In the evening, EI (IS--the Islamic State) claimed responsibility for the attack on the social media network Telegram. Additionally, the authorities took in for questioning two suspects who attempted to flee. If there was only one victim to mourn, it seems that this is due to the fact that the weapon used was jammed.

Condemnation by the Authorities

The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, condemned the attack on a message on X, La Croix reports. Expressing his condolences to the victim’s family, he stated: “We will not allow those who attempt to destroy our unity and our peace by attacking religious places in our city to succeed.”

The Turkish Minister of the Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, announced the attack on social media and added: “We firmly condemn this horrible attack.” As for the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he promised that “all necessary measures” had been taken to find the attackers and offered his condolences.

During his Angelus address, the Pope expressed his “closeness to the community of the church of Santa Maria in Istanbul, which suffered an armed attack during Mass.”

An Ongoing Investigation

Authorities confirmed that a “large scale” investigation was underway to find the attackers and that the perpetrators would be punished. But the situation is difficult and complex. In recent months, Turkey has intensified operations against members of the Islamic State, which has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in the country.

Thus, in December, Turkish security forces arrested 32 suspects, presumed members of the jihadist group IS, suspected of preparing for attacks against synagogues, churches, and the Iraqi embassy. Arrests were carried out in nine cities, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara.

Also, in a country founded on the doctrine of Mustafa Kemal, the father of the country, who had secularism inscribed in the Turkish constitution and Islam removed as the official religion, President Erdoğan offers an ambiguous speech. His politics are described as neo-Ottoman and imperialist on one hand, and more and more favorable to Islam on the other.