Five children arrested after Jewish graves desecrated in Istanbul cemetery

Five children have been arrested by Turkish police after dozens of graves were desecrated inside a Jewish cemetery in Istanbul.

Authorities said the gravestones had been damaged in the attack, which took place in broad daylight on Wednesday afternoon and was captured by nearby CCTV cameras.

The suspects, aged between 11 and 13, have not been named for legal reasons.

The Istanbul governor’s office said 81 gravestones had been damaged at the Hasköy Cemetery in Beyoğlu, on the European side of Istanbul.

An earlier statement from the Turkish Chief Rabbinate said 36 graves had been desecrated.

“It was determined that 81 gravestones had been damaged in the cemetery,” a statement from the Istanbul Governor’s office said.

“After examining security camera footage it was determined that the incident was carried out by children aged between 11 and 13 who live close to the cemetery.

“The suspects have been detained. The investigation into the matter continues.

“We send our Jewish citizens our wishes for a speedy recovery.”

“The matter has been referred with all photographs and night recordings to the relevant authorities,” the Turkish Chief Rabbinate’s earlier statement said.

“We expect those who carried out this vandalism to be caught as soon as possible.”

The incident was condemned by Süleyman Soylu, Turkey’s interior minister, who said police in Istanbul had arrested two suspects and that their enquiries were continuing.

“We will not tolerate those who seek to upset our unity and togetherness with provocative attacks like these,” he said.

There was also condemnation from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesman İbrahim Kalın, who said: “We will never allow those who attack sacred values and try to sow seeds of strife and enmity in our society.”