A DEADLY DAY IN TURKEY AND BERLIN
Officer assassinates Russian ambassador
A gunman gestures after fatally shooting Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, during Karlov’s speech at a photography exhibition in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish authorities identified the shooter as Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, who had been serving in Ankara’s riot police unit for 21⁄ years. Altintas was killed by police. 2
A Turkish police officer opened fire at an art event in Ankara on Monday, killing the Russian ambassador to Turkey and shouting “God is great” as panicked witnesses scrambled for cover.
Andrei Karlov was shot multiple times while making a speech at the opening of a photo exhibit, “Russia Through the Eyes of Turks.” Three others were wounded in the attack, Turkish authorities said.
Police shot and killed the gunman, identified as 22-year-old police officer Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the attack as an “act of terrorism.”
“This is a tragic day in the history of Russian diplomacy,” Zakharova said. The attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for “God is great.” He also shouted other phrases, mostly in Turkish, according to Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News: “Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria! As long as our brothers are not safe, you will not enjoy safety. ... Whoever has a share in this oppression will pay for it one-by-one. ... Only death will take me away from here.”
Russia and Turkey have been key players in Syria’s civil war that has raged for nearly six years. Russia has provided support for Syrian troops that bombarded rebel-held sections of Aleppo for months, creating a humanitarian crisis in the city. Both nations have worked on a plan to allow for evacuation of rebel neighborhoods.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Altıntaş had spent more than two years with a riot police unit in Ankara, the Turkish capital.
Chilling photographs from the scene show Karlov lying on the ground while the gunman — dressed in a suit, gun drawn — stands over him. Moments later the killer was fatally shot by Turkish special forces.
“We are currently in contact with Turkish authorities who are assuring us that a thorough, comprehensive investigation will be conducted,” Zakharova said.
Karlov, 62, was a longtime diplomat dating back to Soviet days. He began his career in 1976, and spent most of the next quartercentury representing his country in North Korea or South Korea. He was appointed ambassador to Turkey in 2013.
The White House and State Department condemned the attack and extended condolences to Karlov’s family, the Russian government and the Russian people.
President-elect Donald Trump also offered condolences to Karlov's relatives. “The murder of an ambassador is a violation of all rules of civilized order and must be universally condemned,” Trump said in a statement.
“This heinous attack on a member of the diplomatic corps is unacceptable, and we stand united with Russia and Turkey in our determination to confront terrorism in all of its forms,” National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.
Secretary of State John Kerry offered U.S. assistance to Russia and Turkey “as they investigate this despicable attack, which was also an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world.”
“This heinous attack on a member of the diplomatic corps is unacceptable, and we stand united with Russia and Turkey in our determination to confront terrorism in all of its forms.” Ned Price, National Security Council spokesman