Russian Ambassador to Turkey Shot Dead after Gun Attack in Ankara

Local Editor

The Russian ambassador to Turkey has died after being shot by a gunman in Ankara, where he was attending a photo exhibition, the Russian Foreign Ministry has confirmed.


"This is a tragic day in the history of Russian diplomacy. Today, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov died after being shot at during a public event in Ankara," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Monday evening.

The assault on the Russian ambassador is an "act of terrorism," she added.
"We are in touch with Turkish officials, who assured us that there will be a thorough and comprehensive investigation [into the case]," Zakharova said.

The ambassador, Andrey Karlov, was shot as he was delivering a speech on the opening of the
exhibition "Russia in the eyes of Turks."
The perpetrator, who was wearing a suit and a tie, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar' [God is great' in Arabic] during the attack.

Following the shooting of Karlov, the assailant shouted: "Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!"

"Only death can take me away from here. Whoever has a role in this cruelty, they will pay for it one by one. They will," the man went on to say.

Turkish NTV broadcaster says that three other people were also injured in the attack on the ambassador.

The attacker himself has been killed by Turkish Special Forces in a shootout that followed.
The gunman was a police officer, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu confirmed.
Previously Interfax, citing a source in the Turkish military, reported that the perpetrator had presented a police ID as he entered the exhibition.

Meanwhile, a picture allegedly showing the perpetrator's personal file, apparently proving he was indeed a police officer, was posted on social media.

In parallel, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has confirmed that trilateral Russian, Turkish and Iranian negotiations on Syria won't be delayed despite the murder of Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov.

The Turkish foreign ministry official told reporters on Monday, "The meeting will be to understand the views of all three sides, laying out where we all stand and discuss where we go from here...It is not a miracle meeting, but will give all sides a chance to listen to each other."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team