Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, the man who shot and killed Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, has been identified as an off-duty police officer for Ankara’s elite anti-riot police.
Altıntaş, 22, was killed after he shot dead Karluv while he delivered a speech at an art gallery in the capital of Ankara in front of dozens of terrified witnesses. Reports say, Altıntaş shouted “Allahu Akbar.” The gunman, who was sharply dressed in a black suit and tie, reportedly also said “We die in Aleppo, you die here” after shooting Ambassador Andrei Karlov in the back.
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The attacker was fatally shot by police after killing Mr Karlov and wounding three others in what Russia’s Foreign Ministry has called “an act of terrorism”. Mr Karlov, 62, was delivering a speech at an art gallery in the capital of Ankara when he was shot from behind in an attack caught on camera, and then shot at least once more at close range as he lay on the floor. The gunman – identified by Turkish officials as Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş – was a police officer who used police identification to enter Ankara’s Centre for Contemporary Arts. h/t mirror
He was a member of Ankara’s elite anti-riot police and was 22-years-old.
After killing the ambassador he reportedly shouted: “Don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria! As long as our brothers are not safe, you will not enjoy safety.
“Whoever has a share in this oppression will pay for it one-by-one.
“Only death will take me away from here.”
Prosecutors said authorities were raiding an address linked to the shooter and his family.