NEWS

Turkish prosecutor probes alleged plot to kill Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios

A Turkish public prosecutor is investigating an alleged plot to kill the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios, Turkish media reported on Friday.

The investigation was launched after a letter was sent from the Central Anatolia province of Kayseri, warning that Vartholomaios would be the target of an assassination attempt on May 29 which marks the 560th anniversary of Istanbul’s conquest by Mehmed the Conqueror, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

One Turkish man was detained in connection with the alleged plot and police are seeking another two, according to sources who said the suspects had recently arrived in Istanbul from Kayseri.

According to Hurriyet, the suspect who was detained denied any knowledge of the plot and claimed to have traveled to Istanbul to visit his relatives.

The Turkish police investigation revealed that another letter was sent to Turkish prosecutors in 2008 with claims that the patriarch would be the target of an assassination attempt.

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