Eyewitnesses who spoke to ILKHA after the knife attack that one person has martyred and 2 of were wounded, remarked that the attack was planned and timing rather than forensic.

Hasan Tok, an eyewitness witness to the mosque praying during the attack, said that he had been living in the neighborhood since the construction of the Esenyalı mosque.

“A sound was heart as ‘death to the fascists’”

Stating that he is a tradesman in the Esenyalı neighborhood, Tok told the event in the following way: “On the first day of the Eid we performed our sunnah prayer at noon prayer. When we went to the first rak'ah of the prayer, a voice called ‘death to the fascists’ came to me and then the one who was right beside me grabbed me and said, 'urge me to the hospital right away.’ Then we captured the attacker. We phoned the police and delivered the suspects. One member of our mosque community has martyred, and 2 were wounded. One of them has discharged from the hospital but the other one still in the hospital. They took kidney and spleen of him also a part of his liver.”

Tok stated that the attack was done in a much planned way and said, “The attack was so planned that the attacker didn’t come before the sunnah prayer, during the first rakat but just on the grovel time. The program I mean that much clear. Everyone should know that this is not a simple event. Wife of the one who lost his life is pregnant. Allah may help.”

“The knife stuck on the friend's back"

Ramazan Kırmızıdal another eyewitness, said that the attacker went inside when the community went to ruku. “The attack took place during the sacdah” said Kırmızıdal and added, “When the attacker stabbed 2 and forwarded to the 3rd one, one of our friend broke his prayer and hit the attackers with a chair. The knife stood on the back of the third friend. When the attacker started to escape, the community broke their prayer and caught him. Then we phoned the police.”

“I was so thrilled"

Another eyewitness named Halil Tiske said that those wounded two and the martyr Hüseyin Aydın were just at his left side. Tiske, who stated that the incident was happening while performing 5th row of prayer, said suddenly a voice rose. Tiske narrated that the attacker was yelling something when he turned his head to the left and said, “I was very thriller about it. The other friend struck the attacker, and afterwards we all broke the prayer and chased the attacker.”

Adem Yurt, who said that he came to the mosque to celebrate Eid with his friends, said he was at the first row during the attack.

“I heard someone say things like ‘Islamic fascism, damn with fascists’"

First we hear a noise, then someone yelled ‘Islamic fascism, damn with fascists!' “Then I looked back and saw that 2 people were injured. There was a big black knife stuck at the back of a brother. Hüseyin brother, who was martyred, was also lying on his side. All of which were seriously injured. As soon as I realized the situation was urgent, I immediately called the 112 Emergency Service. We called the police, the police came and took the attacker, and the 112 crew came to intervene with the wounded.” (Mustafa Bikeç - ILKHA)