The Karlov Assassination: Questions and Answers

What was the purpose of the assassination? What can be said about the perpetrator? What might the consequences be? How should reactions to the assassination be regarded? How might the assassination reflect on the Syria crisis?

1. What was the purpose of the assassination of Russian Federation Ambassador Andrey Karlov?

Two main frameworks can be used to evaluate the purpose of the assassination. First, terror organizations such as FETO, PKK, and DAESH have been trying to create a state of chaos in Turkey after increasing their terror activities post-July 15. With this chaos, what is intended is to create a confidence crisis among citizens of Turkey and to damage the country’s image in terms of security and stability on the international level. It is possible to read Ambassador Karlov’s assassination as part of the chaos plan of the terrorist organizations.

The second way of looking at the attack is to directly connect it with the rapprochement that has begun in the last few days between Turkey and Russia. Through this attack, there was an attempt to disrupt the steps taken in the aftermath of the plane crisis for the normalization of relations and for the efforts that have been expended for bilateral (Turkey-Russia) and trilateral (Turkey-Russia-Iran) steps to be taken on Syria. By causing a crisis similar to that of the plane one, there was an attempt to interrupt the two countries’ endeavours for normalization and their negotiations on Syria.

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[Politics Today, December 23, 2016]

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