Turkish authorities have arrested 25 people, including two alleged culprits, in connection with the tragic shooting at a Roman Catholic church in Constantinople last weekend, revealed Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç today.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya believes the two major suspects, Tajik and Russian nationals, are linked to the Islamic State.
Minister Tunç revealed on social media that the suspects had been charged with membership in an illegal organization and murder.
Additionally, nine other individuals have been released pending trial.
The attack occurred at the Santa Maria church in the Sariyer district during Sunday morning mass, resulting in the death of a Turkish citizen who was deliberately targeted.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident in a Telegram statement, claiming that it was carried out in response to the group’s commanders’ call to kill Jews and Christians.
The incident comes after a string of strikes by the Islamic State in Turkey, including the infamous nightclub attack in Constantinople on January 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
According to Yerlikaya, Turkish officials have detained 2,086 persons accused of having ties to the Islamic State since June 2023.
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