The Russian ambassador to Turkey was assassinated by an off-duty Turkish police officer on 19 December 2016 as the diplomat was visiting an art exhibition in Ankara.
An Ankara court has sentenced five people charged in the case of the assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov to life in prison. Two of them have been sentenced on terrorism charges. Nine more people charged in the case have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to nine years. Six others who had previously been charged were found not guilty by the court.
Nine more suspects charged in the assassination case have not yet been tried in court, as many of them have still not been arrested. Among them is Fethullah Gülen – a Turkish cleric and founder of the opposition Gülen movement, which Ankara suspects of being the mastermind behind the murder of the Russian diplomat. Turkish authorities believe the plot was designed to tarnish Russian-Turkish relations.
Russia Satisfied With Turkey's Handling of Karlov's Killing Case
The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement following the court's decision, saying Moscow was satisfied with the results of the Turkish law enforcement's actions in the case of the diplomat's murder. The ministry added that it was looking forward to Ankara handing over the results of its investigation into the masterminds of the assassination.
The Kremlin reiterated its belief that those who took…
