Rabat - The former Turkish police officer who killed the Russian Ambassador to Ankara, was killed in a shootout with Turkish Authorities in the capital city. Moscow had called its diplomat’s murder an act of terrorism.
Rabat – The former Turkish police officer who killed the Russian Ambassador to Ankara, was killed in a shootout with Turkish Authorities in the capital city. Moscow had called its diplomat’s murder an act of terrorism.
The Russian ambassador to Ankara was shot in the back and killed while giving a speech at an art gallery on Monday.
The 22-year-old gunman, who shouted “Don’t forget Aleppo” after shooting, was a former police officer, the Mayor of Ankara, Melih Gökçek, said.
Police later killed the assailant, Turkish station NTV reported. “We regard this as a terrorist act,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“Terrorism will not win and we will fight against it decisively”, she added in a statement relayed by Reuters. A video of the attack shows the attacker dressed like a bodyguard in a black suit and tie while standing behind the ambassador as he made his speech at an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Ankara. The attacker took out his gun and shot the ambassador from behind.
Video footage shows the diplomat lying on the floor, bleeding out. According to Turkish Media, the killer showed a police ID to enter the gallery.
Russia is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is a fervent opponent of Assad’s regime.
Turkish citizens protested Russia’s involvement in Syria on Sunday, but Ankara and Moscow have been working hand in hand to evacuate citizens trapped in Aleppo – which is now almost completely under the control of President Bashar Al Assad, whose armed forces have reportedly been murdering political opponents one-by-one in the eastern half of the city.
Sunday’s demonstrators held Russia and its President Vladimir Putin responsible for the human rights abuses occurring in Syria.
