Russia Closely Follows Trial Of Karlov Murder İn Turkey

Russia closely follows the trial of the suspects in the December 2016 assassination of the former Russian ambassador, a Foreign Ministry official said on Friday.



On Tuesday, 28 suspects went on trial in Turkey's capital Ankara over the assassination of Andrey Karlov, who was killed at an Ankara art gallery opening on Dec. 19, 2016, by Mevlut Mert Altintas, an off-duty police officer linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization. During a standoff, Altintas was shot dead by police.



Speaking at a news conference in the capital Moscow, Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said Turkish investigators shared the criminal information on the case in November with the Russian colleagues.



The materials are being investigated, she added.



"We continue to monitor the progress of the trial and proceed on the assumption that all those involved in this atrocity will be identified and punished in line with the law," said Zakharova.



In December, the court accepted the indictment that recommended various jail terms -- including aggravated life sentences -- for all of them.



FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.



Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. -