YEREVAN, MARCH 13, ARMENPRESS. Turkey’s ethnic Armenian Member of Parliament Garo Paylan from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has sent an inquiry to interior minister Suleyman Soylu regarding the attack on a Christian Catholic Church in Trabzon, Bianet reports.

In the inquiry the MP touched upon the previous attacks on the church which. He mentioned the 2006 murder of Catholic priest Andrea Santoro, which took place in the church.

In 2011 the church received threats just because the cross on its dome was illuminated.

Bottles were thrown on the church, one of them containing a letter saying : “Either you put down the cross, or we will”.

Another attack took place after the failed coup attempt in 2016. A group of assailants vandalized the church by throwing stones and breaking the windows.

“The events which take place since 2006 prove that the systematic attacks on the church are continuing,” Paylan said.

The MP asked the minister if an investigation has been launched, whether or not security measures will be taken, who are the March 6 attack suspects.

He also inquired on whether or not the authorities have taken steps to ensure the safety of the Christian population in Trabzon, which is being attacked since 2006, as well as to prevent hate crimes in Turkey.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan