The assassin has been identified as a 22-year old Turkish police M.M.A from Ankara police special force department. Image: shapshot from video at Nos.nl
The Russian ambassador to Türkiye, and at least three others, were shot by a lone gunman in a hotel in Ankara, the Turkish capital. The assault took place in the Cankaya hotel in central Ankara near the Turkish parliament where the envoy, Andrey G. Karlov, was giving a speech at the opening of an exhibition called “Russia through Turks’ eyes.” The Turkish television news station NTV reported that at least three other people had been wounded, New York Times reported.
Russia’s MFA said that the ambassador died in the hospital from gunshot wounds and called the incident a “terrorist attack.” The The Turkish assailant was a riot-police not in active duty, BBC Turkce reported.
Early reports identify the attacker as a 22 years-old Turkish police M.M.A from Ankara police special force department. He was killed in a shootout with Turkish special police, NYT reports quoting bystanders.
The attacker is 22 years-old Turkish police M.M.A from Ankara police special force department.. pic.twitter.com/7Ckf67ZlG9
— METIN GURCAN (@Metin4020) December 19, 2016
The assassin made exclamations in Arabic (with western Turkish accent) and Turkish about Syria. In different translations, he said:
“We’ve made an oath to Muhammad to die in martyrdom … [It is] a revenge for Syria and Aleppo.”
“Don’t forget Aleppo. Don’t forget Syria.” “You won’t be safe” “Only my dead body will leave here.”
The assassin shouts in Arabic: we’ve made an oath to Muhammad to die in martyrdom … [It is] a revenge for Syria and Aleppo. https://t.co/pgf8n4gIXb
— Hassan Hassan (@hxhassan) 19 грудня 2016 р.
The assassin shouts in Arabic: we've made an oath to Muhammad to die in martyrdom … [It is] a revenge for Syria and Aleppo. https://t.co/pgf8n4gIXb
— Hassan Hassan (@hxhassan) December 19, 2016
Good translation here by @barinkayaoglu of the shooter's words after killing Russian ambassador. #Turkey pic.twitter.com/savpeZ0nKk
— Amarnath Amarasingam (@AmarAmarasingam) December 19, 2016
Translation of the Turkish parts in the video of the gunman's words after shooting the Russian ambassador. Video: https://t.co/X9Sb30oIH4 pic.twitter.com/pousiUaFG9
— Shaheryar Mirza (@mirza9) December 19, 2016
The armed attack against the Russian ambassador came a day ahead of Moscow talks on Aleppo and Syria between Russia, Türkiye, and Iran, and amid protests in Türkiye over Russia’s role in the Syria war. Russia and Türkiye had been backing different sides in the conflict yet collaborated to evacuate civilians from the war-torn city of Aleppo.
