Russia’s ambassador to Ankara has been killed in a gun attack in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Russia’s foreign ministry said.
\nPolice later killed the assailant, Turkish station NTV reported.
\nAndrey Karlov, 62, was several minutes into a speech at an embassy-sponsored photo exhibition when a man in a suit shot the diplomat in the back from close range multiple times on Monday evening.
\nForeign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the announcement of Karlov’s death in a live televised statement.
\nThe assailant was a 22-year-old off-duty police officer who worked in the Turkish capital, said Ankara’s mayor Melih Gokcek.
\nAfter the initial shot, the attacker approached Karlov as he lay on the ground and shot him at least one more time at close range, according to an AP photographer at the scene.
\nHe also smashed several of the framed photos hung for the exhibition but later let the stunned guests out of the venue, according to local media.
\nSeveral media outlets reported that a gunfight ensued after Karlov was shot.
\nLocal broadcaster NTV television said at least three people were wounded and were taken to the hospital.
\nMayor Gokcek told reporters outside the exhibition centre that the “heinous” attack was aimed at disrupting newly re-established relations between Turkey and Russia.
\nRelations between Russia and Turkey were badly strained by the downing of a Russian warplane at the Syrian border in November 2015, but Turkey’s apology earlier this year helped overcome the rift.
\nThe leaders of the two countries, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have held several meetings in recent months and spoken frequently over the phone. The two leaders have already spoken by phone about Monday’s attack.
\nRussia and Turkey have co-sponsored the evacuation of civilians and rebels from Aleppo and discussed the prospect of organising a new round of peace talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana.<\/p>\n
‘Don’t forget Aleppo’<\/strong> Source: Al Jazeera<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Russia’s ambassador to Ankara has been killed in a gun attack in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Russia’s foreign ministry said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c59-islamic-world"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe assailant referenced the situation in Aleppo after he shot the ambassador in the back.
\n“Don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria,” the attacker said in Turkish after gunning down the ambassador, as seen on a video shared by Turkish media from the scene.
\n“Whoever took part in this cruelty will pay the price, one by one … Only death will take me from here,” the man said, while carrying a handgun.
\nHe then continued in Arabic, saying: “We are the descendants of those who supported the Prophet Muhammad, for jihad.”
\nDiego Cupolo, a photojournalist in Ankara, told Al Jazeera that there were around 100 armed soldiers in camouflage and police officers at the scene, along with armoured fighting vehicles.
\nThe attack came a day before a meeting of Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign and defence ministers in Moscow to discuss Syria.
\nThose talks will go ahead on Tuesday despite the murder of Karlov, the Interfax news agency said, citing Leonid Slutsky, a senior parliamentarian.
\nThe Russian ambassador to Turkey was a career diplomat.
\nKarlov joined the diplomatic service in 1976. He served as Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang in 2001-2006, and later worked as the chief of the Foreign Ministry’s consular department.
\nHe had served as the ambassador to Turkey since 2013.<\/p>\n