{UAH} Russian ambassador to Turkey killed in Ankara shooting
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10:21 AM |
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Russian ambassador to Turkey killed in Ankara shooting
Gunman reportedly killed by police after firing at least eight times while Andrei Karlov was giving speech at art gallery
Shaun Walker in Moscow, Kareem Shaheen in Istanbul and Martin Chulov in Beirut
The Russian ambassador to Ankara has been killed in a gun attack at an art gallery in the Turkish capital, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed. Reports suggested the gunman was a Turkish riot police officer.
Andrei Karlov was attending the opening of an exhibit at a contemporary arts centre when he was attacked on Monday evening. He was several minutes into a speech at the exhibit when a man shouted "Allahu Akbar" and fired at least eight shots, video of the attack showed.
After firing at the ambassador, the man, dressed in a suit and tie, shouted in Turkish: "Don't forget Aleppo. Don't forget Syria. Unless our towns are secure, you won't enjoy security. Only death can take me from here. Everyone who is involved in this suffering will pay a price."
He also shouted in Arabic: "We are the one who pledged allegiance to Muhammad, to wage jihad."
RIA Novosti reported that Karlov died at the scene, which was later confirmed by the Russian foreign ministry.
Local media, citing security guards at the scene, said the killer showed a police ID to enter the gallery. The pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper claimed he was in the Ankara riot police. In video, he could be seen standing calmly behind Karlov before pulling out a pistol and opening fire.
Turkish special forces surrounded the gallery and killed the attacker, according to reports.
The Russian foreign ministry said it was in contact with Ankara over the events, and had received assurances that those responsible would be punished. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, called an urgent meeting with his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the heads of the security services.
Karlov had been part of discussions between Russia and Turkey that led to an evacuation of east Aleppo getting under way late last week. He had also been a central conduit to the Turkish government's rapprochement with Moscow in April.
The killing throws into doubt the ongoing evacuation deal for civilians in besieged east Aleppo, an agreement that was brokered by Turkey and Russia.
A source with knowledge of the negotiations said Moscow was the main reason the deal did not fall apart over the weekend despite the objections of Iranian and jihadist interlocutors, likely to shore up its great power credentials.
In recent days, protests in Istanbul against Russian involvement in Syria and Aleppo, including in front of the Russian consulate on the city's famed Istiklal Avenue, have occurred on a regular basis. The protests have often had a significant Islamist contingent.
The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, was due to travel to Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian and Iranian counterparts.
Russia and Turkey have recently gone some way towards mending ties after a freeze in relations after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter plane in November 2015.
Fatih Öke, a former press attache in Turkey's embassy in Washington DC, tweeted: "The bullet to Ambassador Karlov is not only aims him. It aims also Turkish Russian relation."
"We condemn this act of violence, whatever its source. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family," US State Department spokesman John Kirby said.
Karlov was a career diplomat who had previously served as ambassador to North Korea.
Additional reporting by Ceren Kenar
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