A Turkish policeman has shot dead Russia's
ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, apparently
in protest at Russia's involvement in Aleppo.
Several other people were reportedly also injured
in the attack, a day after protests in Turkey over
Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-
Assad.
The killer, who was in civilian clothes, opened fire
at point blank range as Mr Karlov made a speech.
He is said to have died in a shootout with police
soon afterwards.
Mr Karlov was rushed to hospital, reports said, but
his death was later confirmed by the Russian
foreign ministry.
Attack in Ankara as it happened
What's happening in Aleppo?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin by
phone about the attack, Mr Erdogan's office said.
Speaking outside the hospital where Mr Karlov was
taken, Ankara's Mayor, Melih Gokcek, said the
killing was intended to ruin his country's relations
with Russia.
The attack was swiftly condemned by other
countries:
US state department spokesman John Kirby:
"We condemn this act of violence, whatever its
source. Our thoughts and prayers are with him
and his family"
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson:
"Shocked to hear of despicable murder of
Russia's Ambassador to Turkey. My thoughts
are with his family. I condemn this cowardly
attack"
German Interior minister Thomas de Maiziere
said his country stood with Turkey in a
common fight against terrorism
French President Francois Hollande "strongly"
condemned the killing
While there were protests in recent days about the
situation in Aleppo, on a political level the Turkish
and Russian governments have been co-operating
in the ceasefire operation, the BBC's Turkey
correspondent, Mark Lowen, reports.
Before the attack happened, a meeting of the
Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers had
been planned in Moscow for Tuesday.
But tonight it seems the political fight over Syria's
future has spilled over into public hatred, our
correspondent says.
Eight shots
According to Russian TV, the ambassador had
been attending a photo exhibition called "Russia
as seen by Turks".
Video of the event shows Mr Karlov making a
speech when gunshots ring out. Eight bullets are
said to have been fired.
The camera pulls back to show a smartly dressed
gunman, wearing a suit and tie, waving a pistol
and shouting in Arabic and Turkish.
He can be heard yelling "Don't forget about
Aleppo, don't forget about Syria" and uses the
Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar" (God is great).
Turkish officials later identified him as 22-year-old
Mevlut Mert Aydintas, a member of the Ankara riot
police.
Ambassador Andrei Karlov, 62, was a veteran
diplomat who had served as Soviet ambassador to
North Korea for much of the 1980s.
After the fall of the USSR in 1991, he had a posting
as Russian ambassador to South Korea before
returning to the North for five years in 2001.
Taking up the Ankara posting in July 2013, he had
to grapple with a major diplomatic crisis last year
when a Turkish plane shot down a Russian jet
close to the Syrian border.
Demanding a Turkish apology, Moscow imposed
damaging sanctions - notably a freeze on charter
flights by Russian tourists - and the two countries
only recently mended ties.
Condemning the attack as an act of "terrorism",
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria
Zakharova said Turkey had given assurances that
there would be a comprehensive investigation, and
those responsible would be punished.
"The memory of this outstanding Russian diplomat,
a man who did so much to counter terrorism...
will remain in our hearts forever," Ms Zakharova
said.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38369962

and the war continues