Russia Joins Probe Into Envoy’s Assassination

Turkish authorities have detained seven people after the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, while Russia is sending more than a dozen investigators to join the inquiry.

Andrey Karlov, 62, died from bullet wounds after a 22-year-old off-duty Turkish policeman shot him in the back as he gave a speech at an Ankara art gallery on Monday night, Aljazeera reported.

“The group will act in Turkey within the framework of the investigation into the murder,” Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said on Tuesday.

“Eighteen people will work in the group.”

Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had agreed on the decision in a phone call.

Karlov was several minutes into a speech at an embassy-sponsored photography exhibition when a man who stood directly behind him in a dark suit shot him multiple times in the back from close range.

Shouting angrily while pacing around Karlov’s body in front of a shocked crowd, the assailant-identified as Mevlut Mert Altintas-highlighted the situation in Aleppo and said all those responsible for what has happened there would be held accountable.

Police later killed Altintas in an exchange that lasted 15 minutes.

  Putin Wants to Know Main Perpetrator

A three-way meeting between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia and Iran in Moscow over the Syria crisis began on Tuesday where Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s representative said “no quarter should be given to terrorists in Syria” after Monday’s assassination.

Earlier, Putin declared, “We have to know who directed the hand of the killer”.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said the attacker’s mother, father, sister and three other relatives were held in the western province of Aydin, while his flatmate in Ankara was also detained.

The investigation into the assassination of Russia’s ambassador and the successful completion of the operation in Syria’s Aleppo were the focus of a telephone conversation Putin and Erdogan, the Kremlin press service said on Friday.

“The Turkish president informed Putin about the investigation into the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov.”

Three more people also sustained gun wounds during the attack, according to various media reports.

Local news outlets reported that the suspected assailant was killed by law enforcers.

“On behalf of my country and my people I once again extend my condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the friendly Russian people,” said Erdogan.

Putin promised a response to the assassination.