“I hope that these bad examples will end, and teach us not give the opportunity to others to discredit Islam and the Turkish nation,” said Ali Bardakoğlu, the director of religious affairs.

Malatya police reportedly took the following statement from a suspect in the attack, which left three dead. "We didn't talk about who would do the murdering. We were all prepared. Our religion is escaping from us. Let this be a lesson to those who are enemies of our religion."

Bardakoğlu said that people should have the freedom to express and preach their faiths. “We need to learn to show respect not only to other religions, but even to atheists’ individual preferences,” he told a journalist who asked if missionary work endangered Turkey.