Turkish Jewish author murdered in Istanbul

Beki İkala Erikli shot dead outside her apartment building; motive of killing unclear

A Turkish Jewish writer was murdered at her Istanbul home Thursday by an unknown shooter, local media reported.

Beki İkala Erikli was shot at the entrance to her building in the Kabataş neighborhood of the city and her assailant fled on foot. She was struck by three bullets and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

Bystanders told the Hurriyet newspaper that they heard the gunshots and raced to where Erikli lay injured.

Police launched an investigation into her murder and were studying security camera footage to identify her shooter.

Erikli was the author of the book “Living with the Angels” and described herself as a “spiritual teacher devoted to enabling everyone to connect to their inner voice, intuition, or angels and thereby helping them find their life purpose,” according to her LinkedIn profile.

There was no immediate indication of the motive of the murder, but Ynet reported that members of the Jewish community were concerned about the possibility of anti-Semitism.