Two arrested over Russian envoy’s assassination

ANKARA

REUTERS photo

Two suspects, including one police officer, were arrested on Jan. 19 in connection to the assassination of Andrey Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Police detained five suspects on Jan. 18, including police officer Sercan Başer and tradesman Enes Asım Silin.
      
An Ankara court ordered the arrest of the two pending trial on charges of “being members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization [FETÖ],” which was accused of being behind the July 15, 2016 coup attempt. They were later sent to Sincan prison.

The court meanwhile approved the release of two other suspects identified as lawyer Serkan Ö. and police officer Hasan T. under judicial control.     
   
The other suspect identified as Abdulkadir Ş., an academic, had been released after testifying to the prosecutor. 

Karlov was shot dead on Dec. 19 by police officer Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş as he was delivering a speech at an art exhibition in Ankara. Altıntaş was later gunned down following an exchange of fire with security personnel at the scene.