Church attack probe hints at unusual pattern of ISIL: Yerlikaya

ISTANBUL

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has stated that the investigation is looking into the deviation from typical characteristics of ISIL terror attacks with the recent deadly shooting on a Catholic church in Istanbul.

Two masked men carried out the attack on Jan. 28 during Sunday service at the Santa Maria church in the Sarıyer district, claiming the life of a 52-year-old man, Tuncer Cihan. The security forces nabbed the assailants, one was from Tajikistan and the other from Russia.

Hours after the incident, ISIL claimed the attack and made a statement on its Telegram channels on Jan. 28 that read that the attack was in response to the so-called leader's call to kill Jews and Christians everywhere.

Upon a question on the attack deviating from the typical ISIL playbook of either bomb-centric methodologies or assaults inflicting substantial civilian casualties, Yerlikaya said, “We are, indeed, in pursuit of unraveling to respond to the same question.”

During an interview with daily Hürriyet, Yerlikaya pointed out that the two attackers' weapons jammed during the incident, suggesting that this might have been the factor preventing the terrorists from reaching their goals.

However, the detailed answer to this issue would emerge from ongoing investigations, he added.

Addressing allegations that Poland's Istanbul Consul Witold Lesniak, who was among attendees, could have been a target, Yerlikaya denied this possibility, saying that initial assessment by the police indicated that the Polish diplomat was not the intended target.

"The Polish consul regularly attends different masses at different churches in Istanbul, and this time, he happened to be at the church where the attack took place by coincidence. At that moment, there were already about 35 people in the church. If the consul were the target, why would the attackers first hit Tuncer Cihan with the butt of the gun and then shoot him?" he asked.

Confirming that the two assailants used a Polish-plated vehicle that entered the country in 2022, Yerlikaya stated that the car had not been in traffic in Türkiye until the day of the attack.

Meanwhile, local media also reported that a police officer assigned to the church for the Sunday service is under investigation for being absent from his post and has been suspended until the process is completed.

In a social media post on Jan. 30, Yerlikaya also said that between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2023, security forces conducted 1,500 operations against the ISIL terrorist organization, resulting in the arrest of 738 individuals.