The minister also identified the victim of the attack as 52-year-old Turkish national Tuncer Cihan in a post on the social media platform X.
The Turkish bishops’ conference has asked for prayers for the victim and his family in a statement released on Jan. 28.
“We firmly condemn this act of violence against humanity,” said the statement signed by Archbishop Martin Kmetec of Izmir.
“We trust that the Turkish state security forces will find those responsible and that justice will be done,” he said. “We firmly demand that the truth be revealed and that greater security be guaranteed to our communities and churches.”
The Turkish bishops also urged people “not to spread the culture of hatred and religious discrimination.”
The attack took place at 11:40 a.m. local time as Mass was being offered in the church. Video footage of the attack obtained by EWTN News showed two masked assailants dressed in black following a man with white hair into the church and shooting him in the back of the head as parishioners hid under the pews.
