Ankara: A Catholic priest was stabbed in Turkey today in the latest attack against Christians in the mainly Muslim country, police said.

Father Adriano Francini was stabbed in the stomach in the attack in the Saint Antoine Church in the western city of Izmir, but his life was not in danger, a police official, requesting anonymity, told AFP.

The Anatolia news agency reported that the 19-year-old assailant, identified only by his initials RB, was caught shortly afterward with the knife he used in the attack.

The suspect told police that he had contacted the Saint Antoine Church by telephone after searching the Internet for churches "out of curiosity", Anatolia said.

He said he traveled to Izmir from his home in Balikesir, about 150 kilometers to the northeast, after church officials invited him to attend a service.

The suspect added that as he was leaving the church after the service, he talked with Francini, 65, and stabbed him when he got angry with the priest's remarks, Anatolia said.

The agency quoted Francini as telling police that he met the suspect for 15 minutes before the service after he requested information on Christianity.

The priest said that when he was seeing the suspect off after the service, he told the youth that it was not easy to convert to Christianity and that there were a number of steps he had to take, the agency said.

He said suspect suddenly got angry and stabbed him before fleeing.
Source : PTI