One arrested for Istanbul mosque fires
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Daily News with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 21, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Seven mosques and a facility for teaching the Koran, all on the Asian side of Istanbul, were the targets of arson Tuesday, daily Milliyet reported yesterday.
Police arrested one suspect who was identified by imams and who had previously been accused of setting fire to 11 other mosques. All of this week’s fires started in the imam’s rooms of the seven mosques, none of which had security cameras. The fires caused limited damage, and there have been no reported casualties.
The first fire broke out at 8:30 a.m. in Erenler Mosque in the Çınardere neighborhood of the Pendik district. As the firemen put out this fire, another started an hour later in Fatih Mosque, located in Pendik’s Şeyhli neighborhood. The third fire started at 10:30 a.m. in Gül Mosque, in the Güllübağlar neighborhood of the same district. An hour later, the fourth fire broke out in Merkez Mosque in the Orta neighborhood of the Tuzla district.
The fifth fire started midday in Yıldız Mosque, which is located on Atatürk Street in Tuzla’s Aydınlı neighborhood. Only an hour later, a Koran teaching place in the district’s Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood was set ablaze. The other two mosques targeted the same day were the İstasyon Yeni Mosque in the İstasyon neighborhood and the Evliya Çelebi Mosque in Tuzla.
The first fire broke out at 8:30 a.m. in Erenler Mosque in the Çınardere neighborhood of the Pendik district. As the firemen put out this fire, another started an hour later in Fatih Mosque, located in Pendik’s Şeyhli neighborhood. The third fire started at 10:30 a.m. in Gül Mosque, in the Güllübağlar neighborhood of the same district. An hour later, the fourth fire broke out in Merkez Mosque in the Orta neighborhood of the Tuzla district.
The fifth fire started midday in Yıldız Mosque, which is located on Atatürk Street in Tuzla’s Aydınlı neighborhood. Only an hour later, a Koran teaching place in the district’s Fevzi Çakmak neighborhood was set ablaze. The other two mosques targeted the same day were the İstasyon Yeni Mosque in the İstasyon neighborhood and the Evliya Çelebi Mosque in Tuzla.