Organiser of Russian ambassador’s killing in Türkiye changes name

One of the organisers behind the 2016 assassination of Russian Ambassador to Türkiye Andrey Karlov, Cemal Karaata, has changed his name to Salih Ada.

Cemal Karaata, who uses the name Salih Ada, was found to be working as a psychotherapist at “Qualia Counselling Services,” located at Waterloo The Boardwalk Suite 406, Canada, where he specialises in anxiety, depression, and anger management, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The name change was motivated by fears of being abducted by Russia. Karaata, wanted by Turkish authorities, had earlier fled to Canada.

Ambassador Andrey Karlov was killed on December 19, 2016, during the opening of a photo exhibition in Ankara. The attacker was shot dead at the scene.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry classified the incident as a terrorist act, and Karlov was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Russia.

The trial related to Karlov’s murder concluded on March 9, 2021. Five defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, eight received prison terms ranging from five to 15 years, and six were acquitted. The cases of fugitives were separated into a standalone proceeding.

By Jeyhun Aghazada