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Assassination of Andrei Karlov

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39°54′31″N 32°51′27″E / 39.908630°N 32.857584°E / 39.908630; 32.857584

Assassination of Andrei Karlov
Ankara is located in Turkey
Ankara
Ankara
Ankara (Turkey)
LocationÇağdaş Sanatlar Merkezi, Ankara, Turkey[1]
Date19 December 2016
8:15 pm
TargetAndrei Karlov
Attack type
WeaponsHandgun
Deaths2 (including the perpetrator)
Injured3
VictimAndrei Karlov
PerpetratorMevlüt Mert Altıntaş (22, off-duty policeman)[2][3]

Andrei Karlov, the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, was fatally shot by Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş on the night of 19 December 2016 at an art exhibition in Ankara, Turkey.[4][5][6][7] The assassination took place after several days of protests in Turkey over Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War and the battle over Aleppo, though the Russian and Turkish governments had been negotiating a ceasefire.[4]

External videos
video icon Washington Post: Russian ambassador to Turkey assassinated in Ankara by off-duty police officer

Andrei Karlov

Main article: Andrei Karlov

Born in Moscow in 1954, Andrei Gennadyevich Karlov (Russian: Андрей Геннадьевич Карлов) was educated at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and the Diplomatic Academy. He began his career with the government at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR in 1976. Karlov went on to hold various diplomatic positions at the Russian embassy to North Korea. He had been Russian ambassador to Turkey since July 2013.[8]

Perpetrator

Mevlüt Altıntaş
Born
Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş[9]

(1994-05-24)24 May 1994[9]
Aydın, Turkey[9]
Died19 December 2016(2016-12-19) (aged 22)
Ankara, Turkey
Cause of deathBallistic trauma
OccupationPolice officer
Details
Location(s)Ankara
Target(s)Andrei Karlov
Killed1
Injured3

The assassin was identified as Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş (24 May 1994 – 19 December 2016), who is described either as an off-duty or former Turkish police officer, having graduated from İzmir Police School in 2014.[10] Some sources report that he had been fired from the police for his alleged involvement in the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt.[11][12][13]

After shooting Karlov, Altıntaş is reported to have shouted: "Allahu Akbar (God is great). We are those who have sworn allegiance to Muhammad for Jihad as long as we live. Do not forget Aleppo, do not forget Syria. Unless our provinces are safe, you will not taste safety either. Stay back, stay back. Only death takes us away from here. Every single person who has a share in this cruelty will pay."[4][7][14][15][16] After the assassination, he was killed by security forces.[17]

Reactions

Domestic

  •  Turkey – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey said in a video message that "Turkey-Russia relations are vital for the region and those who aimed to harm ties were not going to achieve their goals", after having spoken to Russian president Vladimir Putin, adding that they "both agreed the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Ankara by a gunman was an act of provocation by those looking to harm relations of our countries."[18] The Turkish Foreign ministry pledged to spare no effort not to let "this attack cast a shadow on the Turkish-Russian friendship."[19]

International

President Vladimir Putin stated he believes "the killing of Russia's ambassador to Turkey was a provocation to try to spoil Russia-Turkey ties and derail Moscow's attempts to find, with Iran and Turkey, a solution for the Syria crisis." He also ordered heightening of security measures at Russian embassies worldwide, and that he wants to know "who directed the gunman's hand".[21]
  •  Australia – Foreign Minister Julie Bishop tweeted: "Australian Government condemns shocking attack on Russian Ambassador in Turkey - I extend my condolences to his family, loved ones & Russian people".
  •  Romania – Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lazăr Comănescu sent a letter to Sergey Lavrov, condemning the assassination of the Russian Ambassador in the strongest terms and expressed the Romanian Government's solidarity with the Russian people.[22]
  •  United Kingdom – Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tweeted: "Shocked to hear of despicable murder of Russia's Ambassador to Turkey. My thoughts are with his family. I condemn this cowardly attack."[23]
  •  United States – Secretary of State John Kerry said: "The United States condemns the assassination today in Ankara of Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov. We stand ready to offer assistance to Russia and Turkey as they investigate this despicable attack, which was also an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world."[1]
President-elect Donald Trump stated that "The murder of an ambassador is a violation of all rules of civilized order and must be universally condemned," adding that the attack was carried out by "a radical Islamic terrorist."[24]

References

  1. ^ a b Oliphant, Roland; Rothwell, James (19 December 2016). "Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov shot dead by police officer in Ankara who shouted 'Aleppo, revenge'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Russian ambassador shot dead by gunman 'out of revenge for Aleppo'". 19 December 2016.
  3. ^ CNN, Catherine E. Shoichet and Nick Thompson. "Russia's ambassador to Turkey assassinated in Ankara". CNN. Retrieved 19 December 2016. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov shot and injured in Turkey". BBC news. 19 December 2016.
  5. ^ Walker, Shaun; Shaheen, Kareem; Chulov, Martin (19 December 2016). "Russian ambassador to Turkey killed in Ankara shooting". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "Russian ambassador shot dead in Ankara gallery". 19 December 2016 – via Reuters.
  7. ^ a b Gumrukcu, Tuvan; Butler, Daren (19 December 2016). "Russian ambassador gunned down in Ankara, Russian agency says killed". Reuters.
  8. ^ "Who was Andrey Karlov? What we know about the Russian ambassador to Turkey". The Telegraph.
  9. ^ a b c "Rus elçiyi vuran saldırganın kimliği belli oldu! Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş kimdir?". Super Haber. 19 December 2016.
  10. ^ "El asesino de Andrei Karlov, un policía turco de 22 años". La Gaceta. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Killer of Russia's ambassador fired from police after July's failed coup in Turkey — media". TASS.
  12. ^ "Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead by gunman in Ankara". Mail Online.
  13. ^ "Reports emerge of gunman's motive". NewsComAu.
  14. ^ "Turkey: Russia's ambassador in Ankara killed in shooting attack by police officer". haaretz.com. Reuters and the Associated Press. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Russian ambassador to Turkey dead: Andrey Karlov dies after being shot in Ankara". The Independent. 19 December 2016.
  16. ^ "שגריר רוסיה בטורקיה נרצח. המתנקש צעק: "אנחנו מתים בחלבּ, אתם תמותו כאן"" [Russia's ambassador to Turkey was murdered. The assassin shouted: "We are dying Bhlb, you will die here"] (in Hebrew). ynet. 19 December 2016.
  17. ^ Umar, Farooq; King, Laura (19 December 2016). "Off-duty police officer identified in fatal shooting of Russia's ambassador to Turkey". Sun-Sentinel. Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 19 December 2016. The assailant, identified by Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu as a 22-year-old riot policeman, was himself gunned down by security forces.
  18. ^ Pamuk, Humeyra; Toksabay, Ece; Dolan, David (19 December 2016). "Turkey's Erdogan says Putin agrees shooting of ambassador was provocation". Reuters. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Turkish MFA says won't allow killing of ambassador 'cast shadow' over Turkish-Russian friendship". DailySabah.
  20. ^ "Russian ambassador to Turkey assassinated in Ankara by off-duty police officer". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  21. ^ Osborn, Andrew; Pomeroy, Robin (19 December 2016). "Putin says ambassador murder is ploy to wreck Syrian peace process". Reuters. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  22. ^ Ministerul Afacerilor Externe (19 December 2016). "Press release 19 December 2016, MAE".
  23. ^ Boris Johnson (19 December 2016). "Tweet Number 810903721605472256". Twitter. Retrieved 19 December 2016. Shocked to hear of despicable murder of #Russia's Ambassador to #Turkey. My thoughts are with his family. I condemn this cowardly attack.
  24. ^ "Trump Says Murder of Russian Ambassador Violates 'All Rules of Civilized Order'". Sputnik International. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
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