25-12-2016, 01:33 AM
Paul Rigby Wrote:Paul Rigby Wrote:Vladimir Golstein on Facebook:
Quote:My two cents.
So who the hell is this photographer who took the pictures of the Ambassador's murder?
Named Burhan Ozbilici.
The pictures are too good to be true, almost as if the other guy was posing. Once you read the comments, you see that Julia Joffe, the Russophobe extraordinaire praises the quality of pictures. That should make us all very suspicious.
Then the press begins to bombard us with the stories of the courageous photographer, who just happened to be there. In fact, that's what he says. He wasn't even invited -- just passing by and decided to stop by and make the pictures.
And sure enough there were plenty of material to shoot. Some of the pictures look as if he was no more that 10 feet away. Wasn't he afraid to make strange sounds in front of raving maniac with the loaded gun?
I went to the photographer twitter account, and I wish I could read Turkish.
He posts a lot, but whatever he posts in English and French, it is very pro-Western and anti Russia-Syrian coalition.
He has pictures of Russian planes ready to bomb the rebels (that's how he calls them, not the terrorists or jihadists); he has a photo-shopped picture of a person who looks like a mixture of Putin and F. Fillon, he has pictures of Turkish soldiers or their mothers.
He is also unbelievably narcisstic. Every third tweet of his is about how many followers he gained and lost. In short, he appears as very anti-Russian, anti-Syrian, Turkish nationalist fixated on himself.
But if some of my Turkish reading friends call tell us more about his tweets, that would be interesting. Also interesting to get the sense of Turkish coverage of Aleppo. I suspect it was as hysterical as that of England and US. Which is really troubling.
In any case, I have a hunch that this photographer did not happen there by chance. Too many strange coincidences.
Russian ambassador killing: Photographer who captured the scene
20 December 2016
http://www.theblaze.com/news/2016/12/19/...peaks-out/
Quote:"The event was routine enough the opening of an exhibit of photographs of Russia and when a man on stage pulled out a gun, I thought it was a theatrical flourish," he wrote. "It was anything but. Moments later the Russian ambassador was sprawled on the floor and the attacker was waving his gun at the rest of us, shouting slogans."
Almost as if on autopilot, Ozbilici continued snapping photos as the horror unfolded:
He shot the ambassador at least once more at close range and smashed some of the framed photos on the wall. In all there were at least eight shots.
Guests ran for cover, hiding behind columns and under tables. I composed myself enough to shoot pictures.
"Don't forget Aleppo. Don't forget Syria!" the gunman shouted in Turkish, referring to the Syrian city where Russian bombardments have helped drive rebels from areas they had occupied for years during the war. He also shouted "Allahu akbar" but I couldn't understand the rest of what he said in Arabic.
The ambassador, who was rushed to a nearby hospital, died shortly after being shot by the gunman, who was later identified as police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas. He was killed after a 15-minute shootout.
As for Ozbilici, who sustained no injuries from the shooting, he has been widely praised on social media for the photos he took of the assailant.
Witness to an assassination: AP photographer captures attack
By BURHAN OZBILICI
Dec. 20, 2016
https://apnews.com/eadca282d5d341a79bb464bbadc4fa11
EDITOR'S NOTE: Associated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici was attending a photo exhibition Monday when a Turkish policeman opened fire, killing Russia's ambassador to Turkey. He recounts how he captured the chaotic scene with his camera despite the lethal danger.
Quote:ANKARA, Turkey (AP) The event seemed routine, the opening of an exhibit of photographs of Russia. So when a man in a dark suit and tie pulled out a gun, I was stunned and thought it was a theatrical flourish.
Instead, it was a coolly calculated assassination, unfolding in front of me and others who scrambled, terrified, for cover as the trim man with short hair gunned down the Russian ambassador.
The gunshots, at least eight of them, were loud in the pristine art gallery. Pandemonium erupted. People screamed, hid behind columns and under tables and lay on the floor. I was afraid and confused, but found partial cover behind a wall and did my job: taking photographs.
The exhibition, titled "From Kaliningrad to Kamchatka, from the eyes of travelers" featured photos from Russia's westernmost Baltic region to the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the east. I decided to attend simply because it was on my way home from the Ankara office.
When I arrived, the speeches had already begun. After Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov began to make his address, I moved closer to photograph him, thinking the pictures would come in useful for stories on Turkish-Russian relations.
He was speaking softly and from what I could tell lovingly about his homeland, stopping occasionally to allow the translator to relay his words in Turkish. I remember thinking how calm and humble he seemed.
Then came the gunshots in quick succession, and panic in the audience. The ambassador's body lay on the floor, just meters (yards) away from me. I couldn't see any blood around him; I think he may have been shot in the back.
It took me a few seconds to realize what had happened: A man had died in front of me; a life had disappeared before my eyes.
I moved back and to the left, while the gunman later identified as police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas gestured with his gun at people cowering on the right side of the room.
At first, I couldn't figure out what had motivated the shooter. I thought he might be a Chechen militant. But people later said he was shouting about the Syrian city of Aleppo.
So he was probably angry about Russian bombardments of Aleppo that were aimed at driving out anti-government rebels. Many civilians have been killed in the fighting.
He also shouted "Allahu akbar," but I couldn't understand the rest of what he said in Arabic.
The gunman was agitated. He walked around the ambassador's body, smashing some of the photos hanging on the wall.
I was, of course, fearful and knew of the danger if the gunman turned toward me. But I advanced a little and photographed the man as he hectored his desperate, captive audience.
This is what I was thinking: "I'm here. Even if I get hit and injured, or killed, I'm a journalist. I have to do my work. I could run away without making any photos. ... But I wouldn't have a proper answer if people later ask me: 'Why didn't you take pictures?'"
I even thought about friends and colleagues who have died while taking photographs in conflict zones over the years.
As my mind raced, I saw that the man was agitated and yet, he was, strangely, in control of himself. He shouted at everyone to stand back. Security guards ordered us to vacate the hall and we left.
Ambulances and armored vehicles soon arrived and the police operation was launched. The gunman was later killed in a shootout.
When I returned to the office to edit my photos, I was shocked to see that the shooter was actually standing behind the ambassador as he spoke. Like a friend, or a bodyguard.
Strangely in control of himself?? And he didn't run or try to get away but hung around to be shot?? Maybe my original idea isn't so far out after all.