[This post has been updated]
News out of Turkey is reporting the following:
Russia’s ambassador to Turkey has been assassinated by an off-duty police officer in front of terrified witnesses allegedly in retaliation for the crisis in Aleppo. -Mirror
The attacker fired once in the air and then shot at the ambassador. Although it is too early tell who is behind the attack, the assassination attempt has the potential to start a dramatic increase in hostilities between Russia and Turkey. Both nations have shared their share of animosity over the years. Recently, a Russian aircraft was shot down by Turkey, killing the pilot. Yet, the assassination attempt if traced to pro Erdogan would take relations to a new low, possibly igniting a regional conflict.
This headline has something of an alarming 1914-ish feel to it…
Russian ambassador to Turkey shot in Ankara https://t.co/l3uyCfwbLy— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) December 19, 2016
Bill Kristol is referring to the assassination Arch Duke Ferdinand, which triggered World War One.
Below is the situation right after the shooting. One can see the ambassador lying in a pool of blood.
Russian ambassador shot in Turkey- oh dear don’t think Putin will be happy https://t.co/GM18NLnyMs
— David Jones (@DavidJo52951945) December 19, 2016
Will There Be War?
If there was ever a trigger for a regional war this would be it. Russia has been looking for a reason to shot down shipping traffic in the Bosphorous for some time and could use this to do it. With weeks left to Obama’s turn, get ready for his administration to milk this for all its worth in terms of NATO involvement, especially since he knows Trump won’t aid Turkey.
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