Ali Yerlikaya, the interior minister of Turkey, made a message on social media stating that one person was killed following an attack on a church in the Sarıyer neighborhood of Istanbul by two masked gunmen.
According to Yerlikaya, the event happened in the Büyükdere neighborhood of the district at approximately 11:40 a.m. local time (3:40 a.m. ET) during a Sunday worship at the Santa Maria Church.
He said that authorities have started a “large-scale investigation” and are looking for the two perpetrators.
The minister declared, “We strongly condemn this vile attack.”
The attack’s motivation is a mystery.
Yilmaz Tunc, the minister of justice for Turkey, denounced the attack and announced that the incident would be looked into by the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor as well as two additional public prosecutors.
“Attempts to locate and apprehend the attackers are still ongoing. Tunc continued, “The investigation is being conducted in a thorough and multifaceted manner.