Turkey seeks arrest of Gulen over Russian envoy’s killin

2 April 2018, 6:29 pm

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A Turkish court issues arrest warrants for eight people, including the alleged mastermind of the 2016 failed coup, Fethullah Gulen, over the murder in Ankara that year of the Russian ambassador.

Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot dead in December 2016 by off-duty Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, while inaugurating a photo exhibition.

This picture taken on December 19, 2016 shows Andrei Karlov (2ndR), the Russian ambassador to Ankara, lying on the floor after being shot by Mevlut Mert Altintas (R) during an attack during a public event in Ankara. (AFP PHOTO / Sozcu daily / Yavuz Alatan)

Turkey has said the murder was a plot carried out by the group of Gulen, a US-based Islamic preacher who stands accused of staging the 2016 coup bid.

According to the warrants, the eight suspects are charged with seeking to overthrow the constitution and pre-meditated murder, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

— AFP