The number of people detained within the scope of the Santa Maria Church attack investigation has increased to 51. Two masked people killed a person named Tuncer Cihan during the Sunday service at the Santa Maria Church in Sarıyer district of Istanbul.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya announced yesterday that two murder suspects, one from Tajikistan and one from Russia, were caught. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
According to DHA, the number of people detained within the scope of the investigation increased to 51. While 23 of the suspects were handed over to the deportation center for deportation, the procedures for 28 suspects are continuing at the police station.
ISIS uses Turkey as a base to strengthen its Khorasan branch
Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya, regarding the Santa Maria Church attack, said, “Our security forces raided 30 different addresses throughout the day. 51 people have been detained so far. Finally, both murder suspects were caught in the raid on the specified address at 22:00. Both suspects are foreign nationals. One is from Tajikistan and the other is from Russia. “We evaluate that they are DAESH members,” he said.
The shooting, condemned by Pope Francis and Turkish officials, was claimed by the so-called Islamic State group in a statement issued on its Telegram channels.
Turkish police has been battling DEASH cells in Turkey for years, but it is believed the Islamist terror organization is setting its roots deep into Turkey’s large Islamist network of sects and tariqats. In December alone, police have arrested more than 300 people for suspected links to the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group during sweeping raids across the country, the Turkish Interior Minister has announced.
“304 individuals were arrested during the “Hero-34” operation carried out simultaneously in 32 cities against the terrorist organization Daesh,” Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X.
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