Church leaders around the world have condemned an attack in Istanbul in the early hours of 1st January in which at least 39 people were killed.
Some 24 of those who died were foreigners – mainly from Middle Eastern nations, killed when a gunman opened fire in front of and inside a crowded nightclub in the city. Almost 70 others were injured in what authorities in Turkey have described as a terror attack.
In his New Year’s Day address, Pope Francis said he was deeply saddened and, praying for the victims, asked God to “support all people of good will who courageously roll up their sleeves to face the plague of terrorism”.
Meanwhile, World Council of Churches’ general secretary, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, described the attack as an “evil act”, adding that it was “particularly shocking” given it seems there was a “clear intention” to deliberately target people “who were simply enjoying themselves at the New Year’ Day [celebrations]”.
“In the face of this brutality, the human family, all people of faith and of good will, must stand together to recommit to respecting and caring for one another, to protecting one another, and to preventing such violence,” he said.
In the UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recalled a Church of England prayer for the victims in a tweet: “Restless with grief and fear, the abandoned turn to you: In every hour of trial, Good Lord, deliver us”, describing it as a “prayer for the people of Istanbul”.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly said in a written statement that Turkey would continue to combat terror and “is absolutely determined to do whatever is necessary in the region to ensure its citizens’ safety and peace”.
