Mevlut Mert Altintas
Mevlut Mert Altintas has been identified as the assassin who ruthlessly shot and killed Russian ambassador, Andrey Karlov yesterday in Turkey. The jaw-dropping moment was caught on tape.
On December 19, 2016 Mevlut Mert Altintas opened fire against the 62-year-old Ambassador shooting him in public, at close range and from behind. Karlov was a married father, you can read more about his wife in the link below.
MARINA DAVYDOVA KARLOVA RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR ANDREI KARLOV’S WIFE
The attacker was identified by the country’s interior minister as Mevlut Mert Altintas. To add more drama to the heinous crime, Altintas happens to be a man of the law.
Ambassador Andrey Karlov was delivering a speech Monday night at an art gallery opening in the capital city of Ankara. Sudden gunfire is heard and Karlov who had cameras right in front of him is seen struck by the bullets and quickly plummets to the ground.
Right after Karlov is shot, the 22-year-old police officer begins making references to the situation in Aleppo, Syria. The crime has been condemned by Russian authorities and have labeled it a terrorism act.
News outlets report that Altinas was off duty Monday night but made his way into the art gallery by using his police identification badge to enter.
At some point during Karlov’s speech, Mevlut Mert Altintas positioned himself behind his target until he waited for the fatal moment.
The camera switches to the accused attacker, who can be seen firing into the air and then yelling. According to CNN, the gunman screamed in Arabic, “Allahu akbar (God is great),” before saying in Turkish, “Do not forget Aleppo! Do not forget Syria! Do not forget Aleppo! Do not forget Syria!”
According to witnesses he spared everyone else’s life and said he was there to die, not to hurt them. About 15 minutes later, his wishes were granted when an operation led by special forces took him down.
The 22-year-old was born in Soke in Turkey’s Aydin province. Mevlut Mert Altintas received his police officer badge in 2014, following his graduation from Izmir Police School.
He was a member of the Ankara police special operations force, according to local media.
Authorities searched his home Monday night. His sister, his mother and his roommate have all been taken into custody.
The attack is said to have been intended to disrupt relations between Moscow and Ankara, the two nations have long been strained over the conflict in Syria.
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