"TURKISH CHRISTIANS SHOCKED AND AGITATED AFTER ISIS CHURCH ATTACK IN ISTANBUL"
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Image: Emrah Gurel / AP Images
Turkish police officers stand guard outside the Santa Maria church that was attacked during their Sunday services.
Turkish Christians are experiencing confusion and concern after a terrorist attack on a Catholic church in Istanbul last weekend. Christian communities feel threatened and are concerned about their security as a result of the attacks, which ISIS has acknowledged.
Two gunmen casually walked into Mass at Santa Maria Catholic Church on Sunday morning, shooting into the air and killing one person. Security footage showed them leaving the building in an almost fearless manner as they entered.
The president of the Association of Protestant Churches (TeK), Ali Kalkandelen, expressed concern over the reaction of Christians to the attack. "Everyone is a little nervous, questioning the future, and will be watching the development of the situation in the next few weeks or even months," he said.
The Archbishop of Izmir, Martin Kmetec, expressed the shock of the Christian community at the murder that took place in the "sacred space of faith in God." He stressed the need for increased church security, curbing the culture of hatred, and tackling religious discrimination.
In a further development, the Turkish security services managed to arrest two foreign citizens, from Russia and Tajikistan, who were involved in the attack. The ISIS statement said the attack was in response to their call to "target Jews and Christians everywhere."
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, condemned the attack and insisted that there were no minorities in the city or the country. "We are all true citizens, and we will not allow any attempt to disturb our unity and peace," he said.
Although ISIS has previously carried out several terrorist attacks in Turkey, this is the first time their local branch has claimed responsibility. Since ISIL's January 4 call to carry out attacks around the world, Turkey has stepped up its security measures and arrested thousands of suspected terrorists.
President Recep Erdoğan expressed grief over the attack by placing flowers and candles in the 19th-century cathedral. Turkey is ranked 50th in the Open Doors World Watch List of the 50 most difficult countries for Christians. The Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I, paid his respects in the church after the attack.
Ali Kalkandelen, of the Protestant Church Association, invites Christians to stay strong in the midst of these trials and quotes 2 Timothy 1:7: "God did not give us the spirit of fear." Despite the tense situation, he encourages believers to remain active in the life of the church, warning that such attacks, whatever their motives, are spiritual attacks that need to be faced with courage.
The Church of Santa Maria, where the attack took place, is scheduled to reopen on Thursday after security measures were tightened. Local Christians felt the need to reevaluate their security measures, while questions remained hanging over the true motives behind these attacks.
News Sources : https://jasangetik.com/
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