Minister Yerlikaya explains: What happened in the church attack in Sarıyer? Was the Consul General the target?

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya provided details on the armed attack at the Santa Maria Church in Sarıyer. Yerlikaya stated, “The attackers entered the church with 7.65 caliber pistols. Thank God, both weapons jammed. Three shell casings were found on the ground.”

"WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER"

Speaking to Hande Fırat from Hürriyet, Minister Yerlikaya responded to the question, “We know the modus operandi of DAESH. They either use bombs or massacre all civilians where they enter. What was their goal in this attack?” by saying, “We are also looking for the answer to that same question.”

Yerlikaya noted that the fact that the weapons jammed might have prevented them from reaching their goal. The Minister added that a detailed answer to this question would emerge as a result of the statements and ongoing investigations.

"IF THE CONSUL GENERAL WERE THE TARGET..."

Stating that according to initial findings, Polish Consul General Witold Lesniak was not the target, Minister Yerlikaya said, “There is information that the Polish Consul General regularly visits different churches in Istanbul and that he happened to be at this church by coincidence this time. There were already about 35 people in the church at that moment. If the Consul General were the target, why would the attackers first hit Tuncer Cihan with the grip of the gun and then kill him with the weapon?”

Regarding the attackers' use of a vehicle with Polish license plates, Yerlikaya provided the information, “The vehicle entered from Europe in 2022. It changed hands here. It was already tracked down through the change of ownership and reconnaissance.”