Turkey opens trial into 2016 murder of Russian envoy

By Baris Kilic, Serdar Acil

ANKARA

Twenty-eight suspects on Tuesday went on trial in Turkey’s capital Ankara over the December 2016 assassination of ambassador.

Andrey Karlov was assassinated at an Ankara art gallery opening on Dec. 19, 2016 by Mevlut Mert Altintas, an off-duty police officer linked to FETO terrorist organization. During a standoff, Altintas was shot dead by police.

Twenty-eight suspects -- including Fetullah Gulen, the U.S.-based leader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- were indicted for violating the constitutional order, being a member of a terror group, and murder with terrorist intent.

A group of foreign media members is also following the hearing.

In December, the court had accepted the indictment that recommended various jail terms -- including aggravated life sentences -- for 28 suspects, including Gulen.

Underlining involvement, the indictment stated that the group plotted the murder -- originally planned for June -- as a "provocation” to harm Turkish-Russian relations ahead of the defeated coup of July 2016 as well as to sow chaos in Turkey.

Marina Mihaylovna Karlova, wife of deceased Russian envoy, along with three others were involved in an indictment as plaintiffs.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.