Turkey begins trial of suspects in Russian envoy murder
Turkey begins the trial of dozens of suspects in connection with the assassination of Russian ambassador to Ankara Andrei Karlov more than two years ago.
On December 19, 2016, Karlov was killed during the opening of a photo exhibition at a gallery in Ankara by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, who was shot dead by Turkish special forces at the scene.
Before opening fire, Altintas screamed "Don't forget Aleppo," referring to the Syrian city, which was fully liberated from the grip of terrorists on December 22, 2016.
A total of 28 suspects are standing trial on Tuesday.
The Ankara prosecutor has charged 16 of the defendants with "premeditated murder with the intention of causing terror" and the remaining 12 with "being a member of a terror organization," according to the indictment.
Among the suspects, 13 are held in pre-trial detention while others are being prosecuted in absentia.
US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed by the Turkish government for the July 2016 failed military coup, is one of the suspects who will be tried in absentia.
Serif Ali Tekalan, president of the Texas-based North American University (NAU), is another defendant.
The prosecutor is seeking a range of penalties for the suspects, including aggravated life sentences.
The indictment accuses the Gulen movement of plotting Karlov's murder to “break off bilateral relations” between Turkey and Russia and bring them to the brink of “hot war.”
It also includes digital evidence showing Sahin Sogut, an arrested member of the Gulen movement, had met Altintas 10 days prior to the assassination and again on the the same day.
Russia and Turkey have been supporting the opposite sides to the conflict in Syria over the past years. However, the two countries have recently stepped up cooperation to resolve the crisis in the Arab country.
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