YEREVAN (Armenpress)--A Syriac Christian priest was kidnapped Wednesday in southeast Turkey and police have launched an operation to secure his release, news reports said.

His Beatitude Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul and All Turkey, has stated that even though the posters saying, "Shoulder to Shoulder against Fascism: We Are All Christians," may have been made to show solidarity with Christians in Turkey, in reality they have put Christian citizens into a difficult position.

Police in Turkey have detained five more suspects in connection with an attack against a Christian publishing house in the conservative eastern city of Malatya. Three employees were killed Wednesday by knife-wielding assailants, who reportedly said they were acting to protect Islam. From Istanbul, Amberin Zaman reports for the VOA.

Turkish officials say three people were killed Wednesday at a publishing house that printed Bibles. They say the attackers slit the throats of the victims at the Zirve publishing house in the city of Malatya.

The Foreign Ministry of Turkey has rejected the proposal of Patriarch of Constantinople Mesrob Mutafyan to hoist a cross on the Holy Cross Armenian Church on Akhtamar island.

"The Armenian community of Constantinople is closely connected with its Church," writer and famous intellectual Rober Hatechian from Istanbul told "Radiolur" correspondent. At this point there are more than 30 operating Armenian Churches in Istanbul. On religious holidays these Christian Churches are crowded with pious people and, of course, if there are clergymen.