Kremlin says too early to say who was behind envoy’s murder

Veteran diplomat Andrei Karlov was shot four times in the back by Turkish policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, in a brazen attack as he opened an exhibition of Russian photography on Monday.

He was subsequently shot and killed by Turkish security forces responding to the incident, which Russia’s Foreign Ministry is now calling a “terrorist attack”.

They have vowed to work together to find out who is behind the murder of Mr Karlov. Three other people were wounded in the attack, authorities said. The gunman also shouted “Allahu akbar”, the Arabic phrase for “God is great”. Whoever has a share in this oppression will pay for it one-by-one.

Altintas fired some 11 shots with nine of those hitting Karlov, the official said, citing the initial police report.

Shot: Karlov speaking moments before the attack happened.

Members of a Turkish forces honour guard carry the Russian flag-draped coffin of late Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov.

“We condemn this act of violence, whatever its source”, USA state department spokesman John Kirby said on Twitter.

The exhibition, titled Russia in the Eyes of Turks, was reportedly organized by the Russian embassy and taking place at Ankara’s municipal art gallery, Çankaya Belediyesi.

Pro-government media reported police found pro-Gulen literature that belonged to Altintas. The assassination came following protests by some Turkish people angry over Russia’s bombardment and destruction of Syria’s Aleppo.

Turkey’s foreign minister said the street where the Russian embassy is located will be re-named after the slain ambassador.

PM Theresa May told Parliament she was “concerned” about the shooting. “I am sure our Russian friends also see this fact”.

Lockdown: Police descend on the gallery in Ankara. He is married and father to a son. He began his career in 1976, and spent most of the next quarter century representing his country in North Korea or South Korea.

Russian Federation and Turkey have been involved in conflict in Syria across the border from where over two million Syrian refugees have settled.

He served as Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang from 2001 to 2006, and later worked as the chief of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department.