Turkish authorities have officially arrested 25 suspects in connection with the shooting of a man during a church service in Istanbul last weekend, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunç said.
Among the 25 detained were two suspected attackers, who were previously caught by the police, and who are believed to be connected to the so-called Islamic State, Tunc announced on the X platform.
The two main suspects were foreign nationals, one from Tajikistan and the other Russian, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said earlier.
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to Telegram, saying it was in response to a call by the group’s leaders to attack Jews and Christians.
Tunc said 25 suspects were charged with membership in an illegal organization and aggravated murder with intent, adding that another nine suspects were released pending trial.
The attack took place on Sunday morning in the Italian Catholic Church of Santa Maria in Istanbul’s Sariyer district. A Turkish citizen, who was targeted by the attackers, was killed while attending the service.
