The gunman who shot Andrey Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, has been identified as a Turkish police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas. He was reportedly a “member of the special ops unit in Ankara.” According to eyewitness accounts, he was heard shouting: “We die in Aleppo, you die here” and “don’t forget Aleppo, Syria.”
Altintas stood behind Karlov as he “gave a speech at an art gallery in the Turkish capital.” Then, only moments later, Altintas drew a handgun and shot the ambassador “nine times before reportedly shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.'”
Meanwhile, “Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the killing of the Russian ambassador to Ankara is designed to spoil Russo-Turkish ties.” Obviously.
“Gunman who shot Russian ambassador to Turkey named by Interior Minister”, by Will Worley, UK Independent, December 19, 2016:
The gunman who shot dead the Russian ambassador to Turkey has been named as Mevlut Mert Altintas.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said he was 22 years-old and worked for the police riot squad in Ankara for the past two-and-a-half years, PA reported.
Security sources told Reuters he was not on duty at the time.
Ambassador Andrey Karlov was speaking at an art exhibition in Ankara when the gunman opened fire.
The attacker had been stood alone, wearing a dark suit, behind Mr Karlov as he spoke.
Numerous shots were heard, before the attacker launched into a diatribe on the beleagured city of Aleppo in Syria.
“We die in Aleppo, you die here” and “don’t forget Aleppo, Syria,” were heard shouted by the gunman during the attack.
The city has been subject to an intense Russian bombardment in recent weeks…..