ISTANBUL: Turkish authorities have formally arrested 25 suspects in connection with the shooting of a man during a service at a church in Istanbul last weekend, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on Friday.
Among the 25 remanded in custody were the two suspected gunmen, previously captured by police, who are believed to be tied to Daesh, Tunc said on the social media platform X.
The two main suspects were foreign nationals, one from Tajikistan and the other Russian, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said previously.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Telegram, saying it was in response to a call by the group’s leaders to target Jews and Christians.
Tunc said the 25 suspects were charged with membership of an illegal organization and aggravated intentional homicide, adding that another nine suspects were released pending trial.
The attack took place on Sunday morning at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district. One Turkish citizen — who was targeted by the gunmen — was killed while attending the service.
The murdered man had gone into the church while out for a walk and had no political or religious affiliations, his cousin has said. Authorities have said the attack could have been deadlier if not for a jammed weapon.
CCTV footage from the inside of the church, verified by Reuters, showed the masked gunmen entering the building and shooting the man who was walking in front of them.
Daesh has conducted numerous attacks across Turkiye, including on a nightclub in Istanbul on Jan. 1, 2017, in which 39 people were killed.
Turkish authorities have detained 2,086 people suspected of ties to Islamic State since June 2023, Yerlikaya has said.
Turkiye arrests 25 suspects over church shooting — minister
Turkiye arrests 25 suspects over church shooting — minister
- Two main suspects were foreign nationals, one from Tajikistan and the other Russian
- Attack took place on Sunday morning at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in Istanbul’s Sariyer district
Israeli strike kills 2 Palestinians in Gaza, health officials say, the latest deaths as truce stalls
Israeli strike kills 2 Palestinians in Gaza, health officials say, the latest deaths as truce stalls
- Deadly Israeli strikes have repeatedly disrupted the truce since it took effect on Oct. 10
- The military said the person they killed was a militant and had posed a threat to troops
GAZA CITY: An Israeli strike on Thursday killed at least two Palestinians and wounded five others east of Gaza City, according to Fadel Naeem, director of Al-Ahli Hospital, where the casualties arrived.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Deadly Israeli strikes have repeatedly disrupted the truce since it took effect on Oct. 10. The escalating Palestinian toll has prompted many in Gaza to say it feels like the war has continued unabated.
Separately, Israel’s military said Thursday that soldiers in southern Gaza had killed a Palestinian who had crossed the line dividing the Israeli-held area of the strip from the area most Palestinians are crammed into. Such shootings have become a common occurrence in the territory since the ceasefire took hold.
The military said the person they killed was a militant and had posed a threat to troops. It maintains that claim when describing most cases of Palestinians shot down in the vicinity of the line, even though some civilians have been killed, including young children, said a military official who spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity in line with military rules.
