What did Erdogan know, and when did he know it?
“Russian ambassador’s assassin ‘guarded Recep Tayyip Erdogan,'” by Roland Oliphant, Telegraph, December 21, 2016:
The Turkish policeman who murdered Russia’s ambassador to Ankara provided security to Recep Tayyip Erdogan on multiple occasions in recent months, a pro-government commentator has claimed.
Melvut Mert Altintas, 22, served on police details backing up Mr Erdogan’s personal body guards eight times since the failed military coup that rocked Turkey in July.
Alintas, who served on an elite Ankara riot unit for two and a half years, was part of the second tier of security at those events, Abdülkadir Selvi, a columnist known for his close ties to the government, wrote in Hurriyet.
If confirmed, the revelations will raise questions about how the assassin passed through strict security screening despite plotting the murder of a high-ranking foreign diplomat.
Altintas shouted “Allahu Akbar” and “don’t forget Aleppo” after he shot Andrey Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, on Monday.
The off-duty policeman was killed shortly afterwards by Turkish security officers, who said they feared he was carrying a bomb.
The Turkish government has blamed the attack on Fettulah [sic] Gulen, a US-based preacher and critic of Mr Erdogan who has also been accused of orchestrating the failed coup in July.
The Kremlin distanced itself from those claims on Wednesday, saying that it was “too early” to name Altintas’ possible accomplices.
“We shouldn’t rush with any theories before the investigators establish who were behind the assassination of our ambassador,” said Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman.
Mr Peskov added that the murder was a “certainly a blow to [Turkey’s] prestige.”
Earlier Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, was quoted as telling John Kerry, the US Secretary of States, that Turkey and Russia both believed Gulen’s followers were behind the attack.
Experts have questioned that account, saying Altintas appeared to have targeted Russia in revenge for the country’s involvement in the Syrian civil war….

Undaunted says
He wasn’t killed because they thought he might have a bomb but because they thought he might be grabbed by the Russians and have the truth “extracted” from him.
1357911 says
Undaunted:
“He wasn’t killed because they thought he might have a bomb but because they thought he might be grabbed by the Russians and have the truth “extracted” from him.”
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That’s right, but there’s more to this, and the clue lies in this:
“The Turkish policeman who murdered Russia’s ambassador to Ankara provided security to Recep Tayyip Erdogan on multiple occasions in recent months, a pro-government commentator has claimed.”
Translation:
1.) The assassin couldn’t possibly an ISIS plant, because if that were proven, it would completely discredit Erdogan’s security apparatus.
Hence…
2.) He was simply a nutjob, who went off the rails. But that TOO discredits Erdogan’s vetting process, since the assassin has been named as a “protector of Erdogan”.
So…what is it? ISIS, nutjob, or an actor guided by Erdogan, to disrupt the thawing relations between Turkey and Russia? If Erdogan is behind this, he is playing a very dangerous game. Erdogan wants a Neo-Caliphate of the 21st Century. He secretly rejects the secular-Kemalist paradigm that is still very strong inside Turkey, despite what outsiders want to claim. Ataturk is like a God here – there is no, possible way for Erdogan to openly reject K. Mustafa Ataturk, and get away with it.
So…he has to do things another way. Russia is in the way. The USA is in the way. Ironically, NATO is in the way; hence all of the nutjobs here in Ankara claiming that this was a NATO plot, and that the assassin was sent by NATO to hasten the expulsion of Turkey as a NATO member.
Perhaps that is EXACTLY what Erdogan wants, because NATO most assuredly would not allow an ascendant Turkish Caliphate to block the Bosporous Strait and the Black Sea ports, Russia or no Russia.
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Mark my words – Erdogan is behind this, just as he was behind the manufactured coup in July, in order to rid the country of his enemies and detractors.
girlgirl says
because people can’t become jihadists AFTER years of serving in the police???
Peggy says
There couldn’t be too many years. He is only 22.
Oliver says
My thoughts. However mine were not as deep. Excellent analysis
Anon says
It’s not Erdogan. It’s the Saudis.
Sam says
Like the “coup” this is also very fishy to me. We may never know the truth. However, it does not matter. The cult members of Islam can not be trusted regardless of their nationality
Mirren10 says
”Earlier Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, was quoted as telling John Kerry, the US Secretary of States, that Turkey and Russia both believed Gulen’s followers were behind the attack”
Gulen, shmoolen. Does it matter what variety of islam is behind the attack ? It’s all the same. The only religion that thinks *murder* is pleasing to its ‘god’, and that the murderer will get 72 virgins and endless wine.
As for Turkey, I’m very sceptical. As Robert says, what did Erdogan know, and when did he know it ? In my admittedly highly cynical opinion, I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if Erdogan hadn’t orchestrated the whole.
gravenimage says
Yeah–here’s Erdogan claiming it’s Fethullah Gülen:
“Erdogan Says Follower of Gulen, His Rival, Killed Russian Envoy”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/21/world/europe/recep-tayyip-erdogan-fethullah-gulen-ambassador.html
In that case, since this Jihadist served as a bodyguard for Erdogan himself, he’s admitting that this own security apparatus is so inept that his rival’s forces got next to him.
Erdogan blamed the attempted military coup on Gülen, as well. He’s a nasty piece of work himself, heavily involved in Da’wa in the West–but he seems to have become an all purpose bogey man for Erdogan recently.
Vlad says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKPmGMJ5sew
Merry Christmas to men (and women) of goodwill
gravenimage says
Same to you, Vlad!
Westman says
“The off-duty policeman was killed shortly afterwards by Turkish security officers, who said they The off-duty policeman was killed shortly afterwards by Turkish security officers, who said they feared he was carrying a bomb.”
Ahh, yes, Dead Men Tell No Tales – from the same country that shot down a Russian military jet. Altintas was so thin that any explosive belt would be obvious.
miriamrove says
This is not going to go down too well with Putin. m
mortimer says
Muslim leaders, politicians, imams, mullahs and ayatollahs CANNOT DISTINGUISH a secret jihadist from a NORMAL, ORDINARY Muslim … even if they interact daily for years!
So how do ARROGANT, Western, Libtarded Regressives think they can spot a jihadist BETTER than life-time Muslims who know the jihad doctrine.
Answer: Western Libtards CANNOT DISTINGUISH anything. They are GUESSING! They are willing to play MUSLIM ROULETTE with precious WESTERN LIVES.
Custos Custodum says
You are assuming that Western Libtards actually WANT to distinguish jihadists from regular Muslims.
The Western Left has worked assiduously for decades specifically to import Muslims rather than other Third World populations. JW has documented how the U.S. administration has gone to great lengths to EXCLUDE Christian refugees from hellholes like Syria.
Something much worse than “inability to distinguish” is at play. What we are looking at are INTENTIONAL and sophisticated efforts to undermine the constitutional order and specifically to destroy and subvert the native “lower classes.”
Why the lower classes? Remember that the “lower classes” have failed to live up to earlier Leftard expectations that they would join a revolution to put their Leftard betters in positions of total, unconstrained power. Even worse, in the recent U.S. elections, blue-collar citizen voters had the effrontery to elect a candidate they preferred rather than the offering put before them by billionaire Leftards and their MSM excretory organs.
Chaos-through-Jihad – which disproportionately affects the lower classes rather than limousine liberals – is intended to create new opportunities to seize power beyond the tedious confines of a constitutional system. That previous “progressive” constituencies such as gays, women, and African-Americans are thrown under the bus in the process is of no consequence to the true adept of totalitarianism. As they like to say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
girlgirl says
why would Erdogan support such thing , how would murdering the ambassador of russia benefit him if his country is in a diplomatic conflict with the usa?
the theory of erdogan makes more sense though the most likely thing is that this guy just became a radical muslim recently…
Peggy says
Maybe because Russia and the US are killing ISIS vultures in Syria Erdogan thought that it would be a good idea to put a wedge between the two countries.
If Russia thinks that Erdogan was behind it and previously downed their plane then Russia might be inclined to attack Turkey which in turn would draw NATO into it and no more US/Russia team kicking arse in Syria.
I don’t know but I wouldn’t put anything past Erdogan.
Elaine McMurren says
The US is backing ISIS. Russia is fighting against ISIS.
gravenimage says
What claptrap.
gravenimage says
Turkey and Russia have long been rivals, and Turkey has been found supporting ISIS. I would not be at all surprised if Erdogan were directly involved in this vicious assassination.
RationalVoice says
Turkey is getting to be a very dangerous country to have in NATO as we are obliged to come to it’s defence if it is attacked by say, Russia or Iran, and frankly I don’t want a nuclear war to defend a Daesch sympathizing Islamic State.
There is something odd that there was no security at all for the Russian Ambassador and this “off duty “policeman could stand behind him armed and in his own time pump a load of bullets into him and then stand waiting for security people to arrive. He might have thought that they would arrest him and free him later but maybe they killed him to stop him ever talking about who was behind it. This would point the finger at Erdogan. If he wasn’t off duty as stated and the Russian Ambassador thought he was the security for him it points to Erdogan again .Lesson for Russians is ALWAYS USE YOUR OWN SECURITY. When the US President comes to town they virtually have a man in all the buildings around .Now you can’t do this for an ambassador but surely the Russian Ambassador has one bodyguard available which would have been enough to save him especially after the terrible bombing by Russian of Alleppo he was bound to be a prime target.
Were the Russians uncharacteristically naïve ? .After all the two countries were on different sides in this war. .I was amused by a Russian commentator saying the British were behind it. Ninety years ago that might have been possible but I cannot imagine a Turk wanting to die for Britain today somehow !!!
DFD says
“……….What did Erdogan know, and when did he know it?.”
I said it previously, I say it again: Everything and anything! Erdogan is testing how much he can get away and with whom. I don’t think he believes that he can get away with as much as with Merkel, where Putin is concerned, but he’s trying.
Will Putin accept the murder of one of his diplomats in order to gain influence on Turkey, and thus to weaken NATO? If so, he’d better ask himself how much influence he, as a Kaffur, can have on Erdogan.
Short answer, essentially non!
Angemon says
The answer may be as simple as “he flashed his badge”. Whether he acted acted out of his own volition or was following orders from above, he might have counted on “solidarity” amongst law enforcement. Maybe he claimed he was undercover and providing additional security. Or maybe he hid the weapon in the museum beforehand and walked in unarmed that night – as far as I know, “intention to kill” doesn’t show up on scanners. Of course, “strict security screening” tells me nothing about what security measures were actually in place that night. My major question in all of this is where was the ambassador’s security. Did the Russian delegation trusted Andrey Karlov’s security to a country that Putin described as “accomplice of terrorists” a year or so ago?
gravenimage says
Jihad assassin of Russian ambassador guarded Erdogan on multiple occasions
……………………
This should surprise no one.
stevo-k says
that blows the “he did it for Gulen” theory outta the water!