Murat Nazaryan, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin suspected of attacking elderly Armenian women in Istanbul was used by Ankara to gain its own ends, an expert said.

“Turkey killed two birds with on stone, finding the suspect and an Armenian, at that,” Andranik Ispiryan.

“The judicial opinion based on probe results reveals contradictory statements of the accused, suggesting he’s not certain and doesn’t remember whether he was involved in the attacks. The weak psyche of the accused might prompt Turkey to force him into those actions.”

Despite Turkish media’s citing theft as the motive for the attacks, none of the women were robbed, with a bag of money and pension sum found in the apartments of the two assault victims, the expert said.