Turkey trial opens into Russian ambassador's killing

Twenty-eight suspects went on trial Tuesday (Jan. 8) over the assassination of the Russian ambassador two years ago, including a US-based Muslim preacher blamed by Ankara for a failed coup the same year, AFP reported.

Andrei Karlov, 62, was shot dead by an off-duty Turkish policeman at a photo exhibition in Ankara on December 19, 2016, in a shock attack that was captured on camera by photographers attending the event.

The 22-year-old gunman, Mevlut Mert Altintas, shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) and "Don't forget Aleppo", vowing that those responsible for events in Syria would be held accountable.

Altintas was killed shortly after by members of the Turkish special forces.

The Ankara prosecutor has charged 16 of the suspects with "premeditated murder with the intention of causing terror", according to the indictment. The other 12 were charged with "being a member of a terror organisation".

During the opening hearing in Ankara, two suspects who had attended the same police academy as Altintas and stood accused of being a member of a terror group denied any links to the Gulen movement.