The gunman, who shot dead the Russian ambassador to Ankara at an art gallery in the Turkish capital on Monday, was killed at the scene and his iPhone was seized. Turkey has reportedly asked tech giant Apple for its help to unlock the shooter's iPhone for leads in the investigation of the assassination, according to the website MacReports.
The assassin was identified as an off-duty Turkish cop, Mevlut Mert Altintas. The Turkish officials are looking for links to terrorist organisations as the killer shouted jihadists slogans after shooting the ambassador.
The iPhone 4S they recovered is protected by a passcode, which they are trying to break. So far, the attempts to unlock the device have been unsuccessful. Reportedly, the Russian authorities also want to access the phone and have offered help to Turkey, Turkish officials told the website.
Though Turkey has asked Apple to help unlock the phone, seeing past events it seems unlikely that the company will be willing to assist. It last took on authorities over its proprietary software and hardware earlier this year. In a controversy that sparked debate across the Unites States, Apple denied the FBI’s request to unlock the iPhone of one of the attackers in the San Bernardino, California mass shooting, that took place in December 2015. Later, before the court hearing for FBI appeal could take place, the investigation agency was able to unlock the phone through a third party.
Following the ambassador's assassination, local news reports said that Altintas’s mother and sister had been arrested and that a computer had been confiscated from their house.
The shocking photos from the scene had created a stir. Video footage of the attack showed the assailant, in black suit, standing over the fallen diplomat with a gun in hand, shouting: “Don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria."
(With inputs from MacReports)
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