Istanbul church vandalizer briefly detained

ISTANBUL

A suspect was detained on May 1 after racist vandalism on the wall of the Armenian Surp Takavor Church in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district, but was released a day later under judicial control by a court. 

The graffiti on the wall read “This country is ours” and a pile of trash was also dumped in front of the church’s door.

Police captured the identified suspect in a derelict building, where he was hiding. The suspect reportedly has psychological problems and had attempted to commit suicide twice before the attack.

In his testimony the suspect said he painted the graffiti on the church’s wall “because officials in the church behaved badly.”

On May 1, the Interior Ministry released a statement condemning the graffiti attack.

“[Interior] Minister Süleyman Soylu has visited Acting Patriarch of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey [Archbishop] Aram Ateshian, Kadıköy Surp Takavor Armenian Church Foundation head Aram Bükücüyan, and Kadıköy District Governor Mustafa Özarslan, after the unacceptable vandalism of the Kadıköy Surp Takavor Armenian Church. Our security forces are conducting the necessary investigation into those responsible for this ineffective attempt,” said the statement.