A pair of gunmen stormed a Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul on Sunday morning and opened fire, killing one churchgoer before fleeing, Turkish officials said.
The 11:40am attack on the Church of Santa Maria – which took place in the middle of the weekly Mass – was captured in a viral social media video showing masked men entering the building before they started spraying bullets.
The faithful immediately hit the floor, and the two men suddenly took off.
The brazen gunmen killed one man — Tuncer Cihan — during their attack, according to Cihan’s nephew, Cagin Cihan.
“He is a mentally disabled individual who has nothing to do with politics or (criminal) organizations,” the nephew said. “He went there by invitation and became a victim of fate.”
It was unclear if anyone else was injured.
“I express my closeness to the (church) community in Istanbul, which during Mass suffered an armed attack with one dead and several wounded,” the pope said. via REUTERS A Turkish man was killed when gunmen attacked a Catholic church. AFP/AFP via Getty Images
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya condemned the attack in a post on X, and said authorities were working to track down the mystery killer.
The city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, expressed his condolences and support to the religious minorities who live in the city — who are mostly Muslim, like the rest of the country.
“There are no minorities in this city or this country,” he told reporters. “We are all real people.”
Pope Francis also commented on the attack during a public address at the Vatican on Sunday.
“I express my closeness to the (church) community in Istanbul, which during Mass suffered an armed attack with one dead and several wounded,” the pope said.
Armed attackers attacked the Church of Santa Maria in Sariyer district at 11:40 am AP
Italian officials are also monitoring the situation, as the church is run by the Italian order of Franciscan monks.
“I express my condolences and strong condemnation of the heinous attack on the Church of Santa Maria,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote in X.
“I am sure the Turkish authorities will arrest those responsible.”
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
