Pepe E: Who Profits From Turkey's Sarajevo Moment? CyberHeist Via SWIFT Turkey's Akbank

As of right now..I would say this is a Gulen/CIA cooperative assassination.Below is a comment I left at Saker's- Personally speaking his analysis was, in my opinion, disappointing-  Perhaps I expected too much?You can read it for yourself  here Make up your own mind. *After my comment I will be relinking a news article I had bookmarked but hadn't used.Though it is in the comment section of the previous post- **After that news article there will be an oped from Pepe Escobar Penny on December 20, 2016  ·  at 12:53 pm UTC

Saker: I wondered myself about where the ambassador’s security was?However as I listened yesterday to RT’s coverage as this unfolded, one man stated, there is no such thing as 100 percent security Much the same as life. Saker ‘Some will correctly say that the fall of Aleppo is a humiliating defeat for Turkey and Erdogan, and I agree”Then you would be 100 percent mistaken. Aleppos liberation (interesting that you use ‘fall’?) came about through a deal between Turkey and Russia- There was mainstream media coverage on this- albeit very little of it- except at my blog apparently?Turkey intentionally encouraged ‘discontent’ in the ranks- No supplies etc-This deal between Russia and Turkey was first reported on in October of this yearWith subsequent follow upshttp://pennyforyourthoughts2.blogspot.ca/2016/12/russia-and-turkey-pushed-west-out-of.htmlThe US was less then happy about Russia and Turkey’s cooperation. As was Israel.Especially galling was the tripartite meeting today between Russia, Turkey and Iran to settle up the Syrian issue.Putin “This murder is clearly a provocation aimed at undermining the improvement and normalization of Russian-Turkish relations, as well as undermining the peace process in Syria promoted by Russia, Turkey, Iran and other countries interested in settling the conflict in Syria”Lone Wolf- no wayErdogan- no waySaker “Putin will do nothing harsh regardless of who is behind this murder” Nothing harsh, just retribution on the QTPutin “The killers will feel it”I lean towards CIA/Gulen-Infiltration of the police forces – well knownCIA/Gulen connection- well knownSecond choice Grey Wolves/NATOAfter all it was a Grey Wolf that killed an inconvenient Pope

I should have said attempted to kill an inconvenient Pope- that attempt failed to end the Pope's life.  11 days before the assassination Turkey's Akbanks was hacked via the SWIFT system*Turkey's Akbank faces $4 million hit from attempted cyber heist

Hackers targeted Turkey's Akbank via the SWIFT global money transfer system in an attack which the bank said had not compromised customer data but would cost it up to $4 million.

$81 million heist from the Bangladesh central bank.Banks globally face a growing threat from cyber attacks, more of which have succeeded since February's  

It was not immediately clear how much, if any, money had been stolen from Akbank, Turkey's third-largest listed bank by assets and it would not give any further details beyond confirming it had been targeted in a SWIFT attack on Dec. 8.

11 days before the assassination- would 4 million dollars help to pay for an assassination?

Akbank said in a statement on Thursday it had immediately taken preventive measures and informed authorities, that its systems were working properly and there was no loss to customers.

"This has no impact on Akbank's operations or financials. The maximum risk Akbank would face is $4 million," it said, adding that any potential losses would be covered by insurance.

SYSTEMIC SWIFT

SWIFT, a Belgium-based co-operative owned by both central banks and commercial banks, said it had "no indication that our network and core messaging services have been compromised".

Founded in 1973, SWIFT operates a secure messaging network that has been considered reliable in handling trillions of dollars in daily fund transfers.But recent attacks involving criminals sending fraudulent payment instructions after gaining access to a bank's SWIFT interface, either by hacking or with the co-operation of local bank staff, underscore how its role as the backbone of international banking also presents a systemic risk.

Anonymous commenter mentioned the hack on the Bangladesh Bank having insider connections.-It's entirely possible the Turkish bank was cyber heisted with the cooperation of local bank staff.So we have 4 million dollars removed electronically from a Turkish bank- where did it go?Because that money went somewhere......Flag-wrapped coffin of late Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is carried to a plane during a ceremony at Esenboga airport in Ankara, Turkey, December 20, 2016** Pepe @ RT

" Let’s cut to the chase: Ankara 2016 is not Sarajevo 1914. This is not a prelude to WWIII. Whoever plotted the assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov – a cool, calm, collected old-school diplomat - risks a mighty blowbackThe assassin, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was a 22-year-old police academy graduate. He was suspended from the Turkish National Police (TNP) over suspected links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) after the failed July 15 putsch against Erdogan but returned to duty in November" (questionable)

 The source for the return claim is Hurriyet - It's an unsubstantiated claim- with no attribution. I've taken issue with Hurriyet's reporting on a number of occasions and have stated that very clearly here at the blog. Hurriyet = Fars: I have trouble with the credibility of both sources and require multiple verifications to take either place seriously. Original reporting from TASS had him removed. That's where it's staying for me. thanks :)

"It’s no secret Gulenists heavily infiltrate the TNP; so a particular outcome of the attack will be an, even more, relentless Erdogan/AKP crackdown on the Gulen network. The Turkish investigation will have to focus not only on the (major) security service fail at Ankara’s modern art center – but way beyond. It’s not very reassuring that Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu put out a terse statement a very long three hours after the facts.

The killer in a black suit and tie shouted slogans about revenge “for Aleppo” – the requisite “Allahu Akbar” included – in both Turkish and broken Arabic, something that might establish a connection to an Islamist group’s rhetoric, although that’s not conclusive evidence.

Timing is crucial. The hit happened only one day before the Foreign Ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran were scheduled to meet in Moscow for a key Syria strategic discussion. They were already closely in touch for the past few weeks on how to strike a comprehensive deal on Aleppo – and beyond.

And this right after the crucial, previously established Putin-Erdogan agreement, which implied no less than thousands of “moderate rebels” responding to Turkey’s commands being able to use a “corridor” out of Aleppo. Ankara was fully on board with the plan. That in itself eliminates the possibility of an Ankara-provoked false flag"

As readers here know- Turkey and Russia had a deal on Aleppo- it's mentioned in the comment I left at Saker's- I blogged on it in Ocotober of this year and a couple times afterwards. Turkey was on board 100 percent with the deal- No possibility of an Ankara false flag

"President Putin for his part made it very clear he wants to be informed on who “directed” the killer. That’s something that could be interpreted as subtle code for Russian intel already very much in the know"

 Coincidentally??... Connected???  There was another murder yesterday.. A man from the Russian Foreign Ministry.....

AnonymousDecember 19, 2016 at 4:58 PM 

The head of one of the departments of the Russian Foreign Ministry found shot dead in Moscow, according to the source REN TV journalists. Officially, this information is not confirmed in the department.His body with a gunshot wound to the head was found in the apartment. According to some reports, the site of two shells from a traumatic gun found. The gun was found under the sink in the kitchen. Novostihttp://ren.tv/novosti/2016-12-20/nachalnik-odnogo-iz-otdelov-mid-rf-nay…

The Big Picture

"On the bilateral front, Moscow and Ankara are now working close together on counter-terrorism. Turkey’s defense minister was invited to Russia for anti-air defense system negotiations. Bilateral trade is booming again, including the creation of a joint investment fund. On the all-important energy front, Turkish Stream, despite the Obama administration’s obsession about its derailment, became the subject of state law in Ankara earlier this month.

Atlanticists are appalled that Moscow, Ankara and Tehran are now fully engaged in designing a post-Battle of Aleppo Syrian future, to the graphic exclusion of the NATO-GCC combo.

It’s under this context that the recent alleged capture of a bunch of NATO-GCC operatives – deployed under the US-led-from-behind “coalition” - by Syrian Special Forces in Aleppo must be interpreted.Syrian member of Parliament Fares Shehabi, the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Aleppo, published the names of the apprehended coalition officers; most are Saudi; there’s one Qatari; the presence of one Moroccan and one Jordanian is explained by the fact Morocco and Jordan are “unofficial” GCC members.

And then there’s one Turk, one American (David Scott Winer) and one Israeli. So NATO shows up only via two operatives, but the NATO-GCC link is more than established. If this information proceeds – and that’s still a big “if” - these may well be coalition military personnel and field commanders, formerly advising “moderate rebels” and now a formidable bargaining chip in the hands of Damascus.

Both NATO and GCC remain absolutely mum; not even non-denial denials have materialized. That might imply a made in the shade deal for the release of the high-value prisoners, further strengthening Damascus’ grip.

It was President Putin who all but established a de facto Russia-Iran-Turkey axis dealing with facts on the Syrian ground – in parallel to the rhetoric-heavy, zero-solution UN charade going on in Geneva. Moscow diplomatically emphasizes that the work of the axis complement Geneva. In fact, it’s the only reality-based work. And it’s supposed to sign and seal definitive parameters on the ground before Donald Trump enters the White House.

In a nutshell; the five-year (and running) NATO-GCC combo’s multi-billion dollar regime change project in Syria all but miserably failed. Wily Erdogan seems to have learned his realpolitik lesson. On the Atlanticist front nevertheless, that opens myriad avenues to channel geopolitical resentment.

Russia, Turkey & Iran ready to be guarantors in resolving Syrian crisis – Russian defense minister https://t.co/DuXf0RVXiXpic.twitter.com/gGesoc1MzT— RT (@RT_com) December 20, 2016

The Big Picture couldn’t be more absolutely unbearable for neocon/neoliberalcon Atlanticists. Ankara slowly but surely is veering the Eurasianist way; bye bye to the EU, and eventually NATO; welcome to the New Silk Roads, a.k.a. the China-driven One Belt, One Road (OBOR); the Russia-driven Eurasia Economic Union (EEU); the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO); the Russia-China strategic partnership; and Turkey as a key hub in Eurasia integration.

For all that to happen, Erdogan has concluded Ankara must be on board the Russia-China-Iran long-term strategy to pacify and rebuild Syria and make it a key hub as well of the New Silk Roads. Between that and an “alliance” of fleeting interests with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the US, it’s certainly a no-brainer."

"But make no mistake. There will be blood"

 I would say there will be more bloodUPDATE: I'm going to be straightforward here with all readers-  I do not believe and have no reason to believe this incident was faked. There are claims that the Ambassador was shot as many as eight times. This is false. RT reported live yesterday the Ambassdor took 2 shots- Two shots from behind.WSJ verifies:

 The video taken at the event shows Mr. Karlov at the podium surrounded by framed artwork and then physically flinching when two gunshots are fired at him apparently from behind.

Video footage-