MHP leader condemns attack on church in Istanbul

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has denounced the recent fatal assault on an Italian church in Istanbul, cautioning against "potential provocations" in the run-up to the country's upcoming elections.

"The enemies of Türkiye, who spread poison and misery in order to disrupt our social peace and muddy our internal order and security, are never idle and never give up their treacherous ambitions," Bahçeli stated during his party's parliamentary meeting on Jan. 30.

The two assailants, believed to have ties with the ISIL, were apprehended by security forces following the attack, which claimed the life of one individual, as previously announced by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Expressing condolences to the family of the deceased citizen, Bahçeli highlighted the importance of remaining vigilant in the face of potential threats.

"Especially until the March 31st elections, we must be especially vigilant against the dark hands planning to keep the environment of provocation alive and play with the nerve endings of our country," he stated.

"While it is the primary duty of the state to protect the security of life and property of our citizens and to raise their social and economic standards, it is also our collective responsibility not to compromise the rule of law and the virtues of democracy."

ISIL extremists have carried out a string of attacks on Turkish soil, including one against a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017 that left 39 people dead. In its statement last week, the ISIL said the attack had been carried out in response to the group leader's call to kill Jews and Christians everywhere.