Russian Ambassador To Turkey Andrei Karlov Shot Dead In Ankara

Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov died after being shot by a gunman in Ankara, the Turkish capital, Russia confirmed on Monday. Karlov was shot while making a speech at a painting exhibition, the Russian embassy said, adding it believed that it was a radical Islamist attack. Karlov was envoy since July 2013.

The attack comes a day before Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu heads to Moscow for talks on Syria with his Russian and Iranian counterparts.

The gunman was identified as Mevlut Mert Altintas, a 22-year-old off-duty police officer. CNN reported the attacker shouted "Allahu Akbar" after firing at the diplomat. He then continued in Arabic, saying: "We are the descendants of those who supported the Prophet Muhammad, for jihad."

Relations between Moscow and Ankara have long been fraught with conflict as the two support opposing sides in Syria. Relations deteriorated worryingly in early 2016 when Turkey shot down a Russian jet which it says had violated its air space. However, ties were warming in recent months. Soon after the attack, Russia said that the incident was a "lowly terrorist attack," and that it would not overshadow ties between the two nations.