The Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers will meet in Moscow later to discuss the crisis in Syria. A Russian delegation was due to arrive in Ankara at 11.00am (local time) to conduct investigations into the attack, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.
Ambassador Karlov was speaking at an art exhibition in Ankara named ‘Russia as seen by Turks’ when he was fatally injured. He was rushed to the hospital but died later on due to the injuries. The gunman was killed in his turn by Turkish Special Forces, Turkish Anadolu news agency reported.
The gunman has been identified as Mevlut Altintas, member of the Ankara riot police.
Karlov was several minutes into a speech when he was shot. Footage of the attack showed a man dressed in a suit and tie standing calmly behind the ambassador. He then pulled out a gun, shouted “Allahu Akbar” and fired at least eight shots.
“Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria! Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria!” he shouted from the scene.
“You will not be safe,” he says, before shouting “Go back! Go back!” to someone apparently trying to approach him.
“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,” he continued.
He also shouted in Arabic: “We are the one who pledged allegiance to Muhammad, to wage jihad.”
“This murder is clearly a provocation aimed at undermining the improvement and normalization of Russian-Turkish relations, as well as undermining the peace process in Syria promoted by Russia, Turkey, Iran and other countries interested in settling the conflict in Syria,” Putin said in a statement on Monday evening. The “only response” to the attack that Moscow “should offer” is “stepping up the fight against terrorism,” the president added.
“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 also stated.
Officials from all around de world condemned the attack, while conveying condolences to Russia and to the ambassador’s family.
The White House offered condolences to Ambassador Karlov’s family and the people of Russia, strongly condemning the assassination.
UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson said he was shocked by the “despicable murder” of Russia’s ambassador, and condemned the “cowardly attack.”
“I was deeply shocked to hear of the inconceivable attack against Ambassador Andrei Karlov in Ankara this afternoon. Our fullest sympathies are with his family, all his colleagues, and the Russian authorities,”said the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Federica Mogherini.