One more police officer arrested over Karlov murder

ANKARA

One police officer was arrested late on Jan. 19 over the assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov, who was killed on Dec. 19, 2016 in the capital Ankara. 

Seven detained police officers – identified as Kaan Bülbül, Sefa K., Ufuk G., Kadir Ş., Oğuzhan Ö., Doğukan S. and Bilal D. - were taken to the courthouse by anti-terror police as part of the investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Jan. 19.

Sefa K. was released by the prosecutor’s office after giving his testimony and Kaan Bülbül was arrested and sent to Sincan Prison pending trial. The other detained police officers were released on condition of judicial control. 
Police had also detained five suspected of links to the killing on Jan. 18, including police officer Sercan Başer and tradesman Enes Asım Silin.

An Ankara court then ordered the arrest of Başer and Silin pending trial on charges of “being members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization [FETÖ],” accused of being behind the July 2016 coup attempt. They were both sent to Sincan Prison.

The organizer of the exhibition, identified only by the initials as T.Ö., was also detained by police on Jan. 17 as part of the investigation into the killing. 

Karlov was shot dead 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.