ANKARA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors have charged 28 suspects, including U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, over assassination of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.
Andrey Karlov was shot dead by an off-duty Turkish police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas at the opening of an art gallery exhibition in Ankara on Dec. 19, 2016.
Turkish prosecutors have completed two-year investigation into the assassination of Russian envoy and submitted the indictment to an Ankara court.
The indictment says the assassination "is an act of provocation targeting Turkey-Russia relations."
According to the indictment, the murderer previously planned to kill the ambassador at a dinner for ambassadors hosted by the ruling party on June 27, 2016, but the assassination attempt failed as Karlov was abroad on that day.
A total of eight people were arrested as part of the investigation, including four former police officers.
Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based preacher, is accused by Ankara of orchestrating a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
At least 251 people were killed and over 2,200 people were injured in the coup attempt.
