TURKISH YOUTH ARRESTED FOR MURDER OF CATHOLIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000522

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016
TAGS: PGOV KIRF PREL PHUM OSCE TU
SUBJECT: TURKISH YOUTH ARRESTED FOR MURDER OF CATHOLIC
PRIEST

REF: A. 05 ANKARA 1511


B. 05 ANKARA 814

C. 05 ANKARA 1935

D. ANKARA 500

Classified by DCM Nancy McEldowney; reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (U) Summary: Turkish police have arrested a 16-year-old
suspected in the murder of a Catholic priest in Trabzon.
Politicians and pundits have speculated about the motive
behind the killing, but as yet there are no hard facts. Some
Christians in Turkey believe the killing is related to
worldwide religious conflict, including the furor over the
cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, and say Christians are
often threatened in Trabzon. GOT leaders have condemned the
killing and offered support to the investigation. There has
been an increase in threats against Christians, vandalism of
churches, and anti-Christian media coverage in Turkey over
the past year. End Summary.

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Police Arrest Teenage Suspect
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2. (U) Turkish police on February 7 arrested a 16-year-old
suspected of killing Catholic Priest Andrea Santoro in the
Black Sea city of Trabzon. An assailant shot Santoro, a
61-year-old Italian, from behind on February 5 as he was
praying in the Church of Santa Maria. Witnesses reported
that the gunman shouted "God is great" before firing his
weapon. Police reportedly found the gun used in the murder
in the house where they captured the suspect, who is a local
high school student. Media have also pointed to the growing
problem of youth gangs in Trabzon, many of whose members are
armed. Trabzon is also a nexus for trade with Russia and
other countries of the FSU.

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Wide Speculation on Motive
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3. (U) The motive for the shooting remains unclear; media
pundits and politicians have filled the void with
wide-ranging speculation. Popular theories include:

-- The killer was enraged over the publication of the
caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

-- Santoro was killed because of his "missionary work."
(Note: Although proselytizing is legal in Turkey, it is
highly controversial, and missionaries are often threatened.
However, the Catholic Church does not normally engage in
missionary activities. End Note.)

-- Santoro worked to rescue women from prostitution and
trafficking, and was killed by organized crime figures
involved in prostitution in Trabzon.

-- The murder could be tied to a personal conflict unrelated
to religion. During a February 6 Cabinet meeting, ministers
reportedly speculated that Santoro might have been involved
in an affair with a woman (although there is no evidence of
this).


4. (U) Christian leaders in Turkey told us they believe the
shooting is a consequence of worldwide religious conflict and
the deep hostility toward Christianity felt by some
conservative Muslims in Turkey. Papal Nuncio Edmond Farhat
and Monsignor Luigi Padovese, apostolic vicar of Anatolia,
said Trabzon residents opposed to the presence of a Catholic
church in their city had repeatedly threatened Santoro.
Ihsan Ozbek, a pastor and president of the Union of
Protestant Churches of Turkey, told us that Protestants in
Trabzon also frequently face threats. He said that in
January, assailants beat a Protestant pastor and several of
his followers in the city.


5. (U) Padovese said two witnesses described the killer as an
adult, contradicting the police claim that a teenager carried

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out the attack.

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GOT, Press Condemn Murder
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6. (U) GOT leaders have repeatedly denounced the murder. PM
Erdogan told MPs on February 7 that "we vehemently condemn
this attack," and offered condolences to Santoro's family and
parishioners. On February 6, Erdogan said that, "nothing
about entering a place of worship to kill a priest is
acceptable." Ali Bardakoglu, president of the GOT's
Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet),issued a statement
maintaining that, "We strongly condemn the murder of a
reverend in his sanctuary regardless of his religious belief.
There cannot be any religious, philosophical, or humanistic
justification for this brutal killing."


7. (SBU) The Turkish press also condemned the killing and
raised concerns about the potential damage to Turkey's image.
Some commentators, such as Oktay Eksi and Mehmet Yilmaz of
the leading daily Hurriyet, blamed the Trabzon governor for
failing to provide police protection following the threats
against Santoro. They dismissed reports that Santoro did not
request protection, averring that the governor should have
protected the priest in any case. The Islamist-oriented
press tended to promote the theory that Santoro was killed as
the result of a personal conflict, in an apparent effort to
shift suspicions away from Islamic fundamentalism.


8. (U) Luca Sabbatucci, counselor at the Italian Embassy,
told us the GOT has been providing excellent cooperation to
Italian officials in the case, including to Italian police
who are conducting their own investigation of the murder. He
said Interior Minister Aksu told Italian authorities he would
travel to Trabzon to coordinate the investigation.
Sabbatucci also said the GOT provided a military aircraft to
transport Santoro's remains to Rome.

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Comment: Murder Comes Amid Religious Tensions
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9. (C) As reported in the 2005 IRF, there has been an
increase in threats against Christians and vandalism of
churches in Turkey since late 2004, which coincided with an
increase in anti-Christian media coverage. The GOT,
particularly the Diyanet, has at times exacerbated tensions
by issuing alarmist statements about the "threat" of
Christian missionary activity (reftels A-C). We do not know
-- we may never know -- whether this murder is tied to those
broader tensions. Christians in Turkey have feared that
attacks against them could escalate, particularly after five
assailants severely beat a Protestant Pastor in Adana in
January, threatening to kill him if he did not convert to
Islam (reftel D). Hurriyet columnist Ahmet Hakan accused GOT
leaders of creating an atmosphere of religious hostility. In
his February 6 column titled "Now You Did It," Hakan asserted
that Turkish officials bear responsibility for the murder
because they have sowed public fear over missionaries and
religious minorities.


10. (C) It is not clear what the political fallout of the
murder will be for Turkey. The GOT has been quick to condemn
the shooting and offer support to the investigation. This
coincides with the GOT's efforts to act as mediator in the
conflict over the Prophet Mohammed cartoons. Nevertheless,
this murder may be viewed by some in Europe as evidence that
Turkey is hostile to Christianity and home to Islamic
radicals.
WILSON