Probe involves unusual pattern of ISIL church attack: Yerlikaya

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has stated that the investigation is looking into the deviation from typical characteristics of ISIL terror attacks with the recent deadly shooting on a Catholic church in Istanbul.

Two masked men carried out the attack on Jan. 28 during Sunday service at the Santa Maria church in the Sarıyer district, claiming the life of a 52-year-old man, Tuncer Cihan. The security forces nabbed the assailants, one was from Tajikistan and the other from Russia.

Hours after the incident, ISIL claimed the attack and made a statement on its Telegram channels on Jan. 28 that read that the attack was in response to the so-called leader's call to kill Jews and Christians everywhere.

Upon a question on the attack deviating from the typical ISIL playbook of either bomb-centric methodologies or assaults inflicting substantial civilian casualties, Yerlikaya said, "We are, indeed, in pursuit of unraveling to respond to the same question."

During an interview with daily Hürriyet, Yerlikaya pointed out that the two attackers' weapons jammed during the incident, suggesting that this might have been the factor preventing the terrorists from reaching their goals.

However, the detailed answer to this issue would emerge from ongoing investigations, he added.

Addressing allegations that Poland's Istanbul Consul Witold Lesniak, who was among attendees, could have been a target, Yerlikaya denied this possibility, saying that initial assessment by the police indicated that the Polish diplomat was not the intended target.

"The Polish consul regularly attends different masses at different churches in Istanbul, and this time, he happened to be at the church where the attack took place by coincidence. At that moment, there...