Istanbul “Santa Claus” terrorist identified, Turkey minister says
Turkish authorities have identified the man suspected of killing 39 people at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve, state media reported on Wednesday.
“The identity of the person carrying out the attack in Ortakoy has been determined,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency. He gave no details.
His comments came hours after the agency reported five suspects linked to Islamic State had been detained as part of the ongoing investigation. They were reportedly being held in Turkey’s coastal city of Izmir.
The report revealed further that the number of people held in connection with the attack now stands at 43, including the wife of the suspected attacker.
However, the main suspect remains on the run.
