An former British Army officer honoured by the Queen for his work with the White Helmets civil defence group in Syria has been found dead in Turkey.

The body of James Le Mesurier, who received an OBE in 2016, was discovered on Monday near his home in Istanbul, White Helmet sources told the BBC.

Mr Le Mesurier set up the Mayday Rescue emergency response group, which helped train White Helmets volunteers.

The cause of death is not known. Turkey has launched an investigation.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a friend of Mr Le Mesurier, said: “It’s absolutely tragic. He was one of the few people who have made a humanitarian footprint in Syria.”

Mr de Bretton-Gordon said the White Helmets had a very “strong structure” and their work would continue.

But he said Mr Le Mesurier’s death had left a “hole to fill”.

What do we know about Le Mesurier’s death?

Mr Le Mesurier’s body was found at about 04:30 local time (01:30 GMT) on the street near his home and office in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district on the European side of the city.

Reports in Turkish media say his body was discovered with fractures to his legs.

The Istanbul governor’s office later said a “comprehensive” investigation had been launched.

Who was Le Mesurier?

Mr Le Mesurier, who was believed to be in his 40s at the time of his death and had also worked for the United Nations, was considered a co-founder of the White Helmets.

The organisation, which is also known as the Syria Civil Defence, helps rescue civilians caught up in attacks in areas of Syria controlled by the opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

In 2016, the organisation received the Right Livelihood Award in recognition for “outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians”. Later the same year the group was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

But the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran have accused the White Helmets of openly aiding terrorist organisations.

The Russian foreign ministry tweeted about Mr Le Mesurier last week, alleging that he was a former agent of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, better known as MI6.

#Zakharova: The White Helmets’ co-founder, James Le Mesurier, is a former agent of Britain’s MI6, who has been spotted all around the world, including in the #Balkans and the #MiddleEast. His connections to terrorist groups were reported back during his mission in #Kosovo. pic.twitter.com/Fa7JTuP39Z

End of Twitter post by @mfa_russia

Mr Le Mesurier received an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from the Queen in 2016 for “services to the Syria Civil Defence group and the protection of civilians in Syria”.

Who are the White Helmets?

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