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Russian ambassador killing: Investigators sent to Turkey by Moscow | Russian ambassador killing: Investigators sent to Turkey by Moscow |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Moscow is sending investigators to Turkey after a policeman shot dead Russia's ambassador in Ankara. | Moscow is sending investigators to Turkey after a policeman shot dead Russia's ambassador in Ankara. |
Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, shot Andrei Karlov as he gave a speech on Monday, apparently in protest at Russia's involvement in Aleppo. | |
It was not clear if the gunman, an Ankara riot police member who was later shot dead, had links to any group. | |
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attack was aimed at hurting ties with Russia. | |
What do we know? | |
Mr Karlov was attending an embassy-sponsored photo exhibition called "Russia as seen by Turks" on Monday evening in Ankara. | |
He was several minutes into a speech when the gunman - who had been standing behind him as he spoke - fired about eight shots, according to eye witnesses. | |
The ambassador fell to the ground instantly, while the smartly dressed gunman, wearing a suit and tie, waved a pistol and shouted in Arabic and Turkish. | |
He yelled "don't forget about Aleppo, don't forget about Syria" and used the Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar" (God is great). | |
Karlov was rushed to hospital but his death was later confirmed. | |
The gunman was killed at the gallery after a 15 minute shoot-out with police. | |
Who was Mevlut Mert Altintas? | |
Altintas was born in the town of Soke in Aydin province, western Turkey, in 1994 and attended a special school for training future policemen. | |
But he was on leave from his job as a member of Ankara's riot police squad on medical grounds, Turkish newspaper Huriyet claimed. | |
According to the pro-government Daily Sabah, Altintas had set off the metal detector on entering the exhibition, but was waved through after showing his official police ID. | |
He was not known to have any political or extremist links. However, some Turkish media are pointing to a possible connection with the movement of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. | |
However, the movement has condemned the attack and rejected any links to the attacker, according to an adviser quoted by Reuters news agency. | |
Turkish officials blame the movement for July's failed coup aimed at removing Mr Erdogan. | |
Who was Andrei Karlov? | |
Russia's ambassador to Turkey was a veteran diplomat who had served as Soviet ambassador to North Korea for much of the 1980s, and took up the Ankara posting in July 2013. | |
Karlov, 62, 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. | 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. |
How have the countries responded? | |
Russia and Turkey agreed quickly the assassination was an act of "provocation" | |
In televised remarks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the act was "undoubtedly... aimed at disrupting the normalisation" of bilateral ties and the "peace process in Syria". | |
The shooting took place a day after protests in Turkey over Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and the day before Turkey, Russia and Iran were due to meet over the Syria crisis. | |
Russian investigators have been sent to help their Turkish counterparts, who have given assurances of a comprehensive investigation, and that those responsible would be punished. | |
Other countries have also condemned the murder, including the UK, US and Germany, as has the UN Security Council. | |
Outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was appalled by "this senseless act of terror". |