Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov (R) gives a speech as he visits an art fair in Ankara, Turkey, on Dec.19, 2016. Ecenur Colak / Anadolu Agency Via Getty Images
On November 23, judicial sources told the Anadolu Agency that the Turkish prosecutors had completed investigation into the 2016 assassination of a Russian ambassador to Turkey and submitted an indictment to an Ankara court.
According to the sources, the indictment includes the names of twenty-eight suspects, among them Gulen movement leader, Fetullah Gulen, and three senior members of the organization Serif Ali Tekalan, Emrullah Uslu and Sahin Sogu. The Gulen movement is recognized as a terrorist group by Turkey.
The twenty-eight suspects were accused of violation of the constitutional order, being members of an armed terror group, deliberate killing with objective of spreading terror and committing an act of provocation targeting Turkey-Russia relations.
Russia’s ambassador to Ankara, Andrey Karlov, was assassinated at an art gallery in the Turkish capital on December 19, 2016 by Mevlut Mert Altintas, a Turkish police officer. Back then policmen killed Altintas on the spot.
Anadolu Agency revealed that Altintas, who is allegedly linked to the Gulen movement, had an earlier intent to assassinate Karlov. The rogue police officer reportedly planned to kill the Russian ambassador during a Iftar [fast-breaking dinner] which was organized by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party on June 27 of 2016. However, Karlov didn’t attend the Iftar.
Ankara believes that the Gulen movement, which was also allegedly involved in the failed military coup on July 15, 2016, wanted to use the assassination of Karlov to damage the Russian-Turkish relations, which has witnessed a significant improve over the past two years.
Hahah. Gulen movement are terrorists in Turkey? Does the Turkish nation ,Erdogan himself and the rest of the world forget that Gulen was Erdogan’s pal for many years until then? Do they forget Gulen was Erdogan’s mentor?