A fugitive accused by Turkish authorities of helping to plan the 2016 assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Ankara has changed his name and is living in Canada, according to Turkish security sources.
The suspect, formerly known as Cemal Karaata, is alleged to have been one of the organisers of the killing of Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov, who was shot dead at an art exhibition in Ankara in December 2016.
Security officials say Karaata, a member of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO), fled Türkiye after the attack and later changed his name to Salih Ada in an apparent effort to evade capture.
He is wanted by Turkish authorities under an Interpol red notice, the sources said.
Karaata is described by officials as one of the most senior figures in FETO’s so-called “covert” network within Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT).
Before fleeing the country, he worked as an assistant professor in the English department at the now-closed Fatih University, using his academic role as a cover for alleged espionage activities, according to investigators.
Under his new identity, Karaata is said to be living in the Canadian city of Waterloo, where he is reportedly employed as a psychotherapist at a private counselling service specialising in anxiety, depression and anger management.