Journalist: Assassination of former Grey Wolves leader "political"

Turkish journalist Yavuz Selim Demirag said on Sunday that the assassination of the former leader of ultra nationalist Grey Wolves is a "political murder," adding that members of a gang based in Istanbul may be involved in the assassination.

Sinan Ates, former leader of Turkish Grey Wolves - the unofficial youth wing of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) - was killed in Ankara on Friday by unidentified gunmen.

Ates had been earlier accused by MHP officials of factionalism and of being affiliated with Gulen movement - referred to as "Fetullahist Terror Organization" or "FETO" by Turkish authorities.

Demirag, an opinion writer for independent nationalist daily Yenicag, had himself also been subjected to an attack on 1 July 2019, and hospitalized.

He said on Twitter:

"The assassination of Sinan Ates is a political murder. The instigators used a criminal gang as contractor. Some may try to present it as an ordinary incident. We have to seriously take into consideration warnings that the police is under intense pressure."

He continued:

"There is a group, who was active around Turkmen Mountain [in the central province of Eskisehir], and who later formed a gang in the Gulsuyu neighborhood of Istanbul's Maltepe district. They are led by a person name 'Dado.' Dogukan Yardak... He is a fugitive abroad. The police have another Dado. He is probably a duck."

Demirag added that a Eray Ozyagci was arrested as murder suspect, and a Hakan Sarac was arrested over charge of aiding.