Turkish-Armenian MP raises Catholic church attacks to interior minister

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish lawmaker of Armenian descent Garo Paylan has appealed to the country’s interior minister Süleyman Soylu over the recent attacks on the Saint Maria Catholic Church in Trabzon.

Earlier reports revealed that the church suffered a second attack this year.

A gun-attack last week followed a failed pipe bomb at the Saint Maria church. No casualties were registered but locals have warned that anti-Christian hate crimes are on the rise, with little concern from authorities.

Representing the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Paylan said in his letter that the church has been attacked in the past too, citing in particular the incident in 2011 when the cross on the dome of the church became a target of threats, Ermenihaber.am reports.

Following the failed coup attempt in 2016, he said, a group of people attacked the church, breaking the windows and damaging the door.

In his appeal, the lawmaker inquires about the measures being taken to ensure the security of the church, as well as the steps aimed at curbing anti-Christian hate crimes in Turkey.