Ankara — Turkish police detained six people over the killing of the Russian ambassador, state media said on Tuesday, widening a probe to relatives of the off-duty police officer, who shouted, "Don’t forget Aleppo!" as he gunned the envoy down. Both countries cast Monday’s attack, which occurred at an art gallery in the capital Ankara, as an attempt to undermine a recent thawing of ties that have been strained by Syria’s civil war, where they back opposing sides. The war, which has killed more than 300,000 people and created a power vacuum exploited by Islamic State (IS), reached a potential turning point last week when Syrian forces ended rebel resistance in the northern city of Aleppo. Russia, an ally of President Bashar al-Assad, supported that advance with air strikes. Turkey identified the killer as 22-year-old Mevlut Mert Altintas, who had worked for the Ankara riot police for two-and-a-half-years. Altintas, who also shouted slogans associated with Islamist militancy after shoo...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.