Harrowing photo shows assassin moments after he killed ambassador in art gallery
A harrowing photo shows a killer holding his gun just moments after Russia's ambassador to Turkey was shot dead in front of a shocked crowd at an art gallery.
Andrey Karlov, 62, was giving a speech at an embassy-sponsored photo exhibition in the Turkish capital of Ankara when a man who stood behind him in a dark suit shot the diplomat. Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is the greatest) and "We die in Aleppo, you die here" as he launched his attack on December 19, 2016. Officers later shot and killed the gunman at the scene.
The assailant, a member of the Ankara riot police who was off duty at the time, also launched a rant about the situation in Syria as Russia backed the country's president, Bashar al-Assad, during the civil war. A shocking photo from the scene showed the victim lying on the ground with the armed man dressed in a suit standing near him.
After gunning down the ambassador, the attacker said in Turkish: "Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria." While holding his gun, the man said: "Whoever took part in this cruelty will pay the price, one by one … Only death will take me from here."
Russia denounced the shooting as a "terrorist attack" with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying: "Terrorism will not win and we will fight against it decisively." Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack was aimed at hurting ties with Russia - and spoke to Vladimir Putin after Mr Karlov was killed.
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Andrei Karlov was killed in Ankara, Turkey (Getty Images)Erdogan said: "On behalf of my country and my people I once again extend my condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the friendly Russian people." Putin said the act was "undoubtedly a provocation aimed at disrupting the normalisation" of bilateral ties and the "peace process in Syria".
Speaking from Moscow, the Russian president said: "The crime that has been committed is undoubtedly a provocation aimed at derailing the ties between Russia and Turkey, as well as the peace process in Syria. There is only one possible response to this - the strengthening of the fight against terror, and the bandits will feel it themselves."
Mevlut Mert Altintas was later killed by the police (mirror.co.uk)A US statement also condemned the gun attack. John Kirby, the state department spokesman, said: "We condemn this act of violence, whatever its source. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family." Boris Johnson, then serving as UK Foreign Secretary, described the attack as a "despicable murder" and a "cowardly attack".
In 2021, a Turkish court sentenced five people to life prison terms over Mr Karlov's assassination. Prosecutors concluded that a network led by US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen was behind Karlov's slaying and charged 28 people, including Gulen, over the killing.
Turkish policemen stand guard near the Cagdas Sanatlar Merkezi, a major art exhibition hall, after the shooting (AFP/Getty Images)The Ankara court convicted three of the defendants of the charges of "attempting to overturn the constitutional order" and of "murder with the aim of terrorism" and sentenced them to two separate life terms, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Two other defendants received one life term each for "attempting to overturn the constitutional order" and 15-year prison terms for aiding the murder.
Those defendants include a man accused of being Altintas' "controller", a former intelligence officer accused of providing Gulen’s network information on the ambassador’s moves, and a person accused of relaying orders for the killing. Eight people received prison terms raging between seven and 10 years for membership in Gulen’s network or for aiding the group, which Turkey has designated a terror organisation. Six defendants were acquitted of all charges, the agency reported.
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