Istanbul police detained three individuals who scaled the walls of the Armenian Apostolic Sourp Takavor Church in Kadıköy yesterday and were caught on film dancing around the cross.

The three were part of a crowd of young people who had gathered outside the church on Sunday evening.

Orası bir mabed, yazıklar olsun! pic.twitter.com/p0apPAU6mk

— Ֆաթմա Եավուզ (@fatmayavuz08) July 11, 2021

The Russian RIA Novosti news agency, citing the Istanbul City Hall, reports the police visited the homes of the three and detained them.

“An investigation is underway. We condemn this heinous act against the sanctuaries," the City Hall’s statement reads.

Ömer Çelik, a spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), condemned what happened.

"We condemn the disrespectful attitude towards the Sourp Takavor Church. Such actions against mosques, churches, synagogues are an insult to everyone. "We assess all this as provocations," Celik wrote on his Twitter page.

Kadıköy Surp Takavor Kilisesi'nin duvarının üstüne çıkan bir grup, bu dini mekana gösterilmesi gereken saygıya yakışmayan davranışlarda bulunmuştur. Surp Takavor Kilisesi'ne yönelik bu saygısızlığı kınıyoruz. Mabedlere yapılan saygısızlık herkese karşı saygısızlıktır.

— Ömer Çelik (@omerrcelik) July 12, 2021