Turkish court recognizes murder of Russian Ambassador Karlov as espionage operation

The murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov in 2016 was not only an act of terrorism, but also a well-prepared espionage operation. This was reported by the Sabah newspaper on July 6, citing court materials.

The documents note that the main goal of the banned FETÖ organization after the coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016 was to spread fear and discredit the republic. The organizers sought to portray the country as "unsafe," arguing that it could not protect foreign ambassadors. At the same time, it is stated that Turkey has become a "target of global forces" due to its rapprochement with Russia.

"After the failed coup attempt on July 15, FETÖ cells set in motion a diabolical plan to draw Turkey into the war," the newspaper reports an excerpt from the case file.

The intelligence part of the assassination attempt was prepared by the FETÖ members, who infiltrated the Russian branch of Turkey's National Intelligence System. They collected confidential information about the time of departure from the embassy, car license plates and the presence of bodyguards. The investigation found that Andrei Karlov did not apply to the Turkish authorities with a request for protection, as he trusted them.

The perpetrator of the murder of Mevlut Altyntas, who was eliminated at the crime scene, had been preparing for the attack for four months. The court also found that FETÖ sought to conceal its involvement in the crime and tried to blame jihadist groups. The case file clarifies that one of the defendants, Jemal Karaat, fled to Canada, fearing the consequences of his actions.

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In 2024, the Main Prosecutor's Office of Ankara began investigating information about a possible conspiracy by a number of Turkish police officers against the country's authorities. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held an emergency meeting with the heads of intelligence and the Ministry of Justice after warning about the preparation of a coup. The Turkish leader, in turn, noted that the authorities know who is behind this.

Ivan Starodubtsev, a political scientist and expert in Turkey, said that the Turkish authorities saw an American trace in the reports of a conspiracy by law enforcement agencies. According to the expert, Turkish analysts were convinced that the sect of the Muslim preacher Gulen, who was already living in the United States, was behind this.