Russian envoy’s assassin related to ‘FETÖ’: President Erdoğan

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

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The assassin of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was related to a movement led by U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan claimed late on Dec. 21.
 
“Where he grew up and all connections reveal connections to FETÖ [the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] membership.”  
   
Erdoğan said the assassin’s international links were being investigated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT).      

Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was shot dead by Turkish police officer Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş on Dec. 19 as he addressed the opening ceremony of an art exhibition in the Turkish capital Ankara.  
   
Altıntaş shouted about Aleppo as he committed the killing.

Meanwhile, Erdoğan said the Islamic State Iraq and Levant (ISIL) city of al-Bab in northern Syria had been completely besieged by the Turkish army and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).      

In a meeting with Albanian President Bujar Nishani in the presidential complex on Dec. 21, Erdoğan said he had received information from Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar on the army’s Operation Euphrates Shield.  
   
“Right now, al-Bab is completely besieged by the Free Syrian Army and our soldiers,” said Erdoğan.  
    
Erdoğan said several Turkish soldiers were killed and wounded during the last stage of the siege of al-Bab. “I hope al-Bab will fall soon and the local people of al-Bab will be able to find a chance to settle on their own territory.”