Attacker most likely a Gulenist: Turkish media

Selim Sazak, a researcher at the Century Foundation, a New Yorkbased think tank, said: “The assailant could be a Turkish nationalist gone rogue, a Gulenist (supporter of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey), a Daesh subvert, or even a Eurasianist, for this plays right into the hands of those trying to bring Turkey and Russia closer.”

Mainstream Turkish media are reporting that the attacker being a Gulenist is the most likely option.

Sazak says this will impact US-Turkish relations more than it will Turkish-Russian ties. “Progovernment media are already spinning this as a US conspiracy, and trying to paint the cop as a Gulenist,” he told Arab News.

Sazak says diplomatically the game plan is fairly simple, at least publicly: “You express condolences, high-level authorities attend the funeral in Moscow, and Putin says a few things about how this is regrettable but thanks Turkish police and reiterates the solidarity of the Turkish and Russian peoples.”

However, Sazak says the only exit strategy for Ankara is to try to spin the assassination into anti-Western propaganda.

“As of today, Turkey’s Syria game is over,” Sazak said, adding that this puts Turkey in the worst bargaining position imaginable.

In a similar vein, the Russian Federation Council considers the assassination a grave failure of Turkish law-enforcement, Interfax reported.

However, other messages coming from Moscow suggest that Russia does not intend to turn the assassination into a major diplomatic crisis.

Frants Klintsevic, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council Defense and Security Committee, said the perpetrator wanted “to turn Turkey and Russia against each other.”

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: “Ambassador Karlov was a unique diplomat who earned the appreciation of all state cadres for his professional and personal competencies, as he carried out successful work at a very difficult time in Turkey.

“His memory will always be with us. We will not allow this attack to overshadow Turkish- Russian friendship.”