Turkish 'self-help' author shot dead by disillusioned fan

A Turkish author known for her publication of self-help books has died after being shot on the doorstep of her Istanbul home.

Turkish media reported on Friday that Beki İkala Erikli was struck by three bullets on Thursday fired by an unknown assailant who then fled the scene in the Kabatas neighbourhood of Istanbul with paramedics declaring the author dead at the scene.

Police investigations are ongoing in order to find the shooter, with authorities stating that they are studying security camera footage in order to ascertain more details of the attack.

Erikli, who has a 14 year-old son, authored numerous "self-help" books including Living with the Angels and The Power of Angels. 

She 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", on her LinkedIn profile.

However, on Friday evening Turkish authorities arrested Sinem Koc, a disillusioned former fan of Erikli's novels, at a house in the Kucukcekmece district of Istanbul. In the aftermath of the attack a number of news agencies including Ynet and The Times of Israel reported that Erikli was Jewish, expressing concern that the attack could have been motivated by anti-semitism. 

They found a 9mm pistol used in the attack at the location. In police custody Koc confessed to carrying out the attack.