The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot dead by a Turkish police officer at an art gallery in Ankara tonight.
Ambassador Andrey Karlov, 62, was repeatedly shot in the back at close range by a gunman shouting: ‘Allahu Akbar (God is Great). We die in Aleppo, you die here!’
#Turkey: Video footage of the moments of the assassination attempt on the Russian ambassador in #Ankara. pic.twitter.com/hy4rUvONfB
— Mikhail D. (@Eire_QC) December 19, 2016
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The shooter has been named on social media as Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, 22, an off-duty police officer from the Ankara special forces department. Altintas was later shot dead by police, according to local media.
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. In video, he could be seen standing calmly behind Karlov before pulling out a pistol and opening fire.
The Russian foreign ministry said it was in contact with Ankara over the events, and had received assurances that those responsible would be punished.
Russia condemned the shooting as a ‘terrorist act’ in an official statement.
Meanwhile, 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.