The Russian ambassador to Turkey has been reported dead after a shooting Monday in the country’s capital of Ankara, according to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.
Ambassador Andrey Karlov was shot several times while making a speech during an art gallery opening. His assailant has been “neutralized,” Anadolu reported.
A photograph of the scene shows the ambassador lying on the floor in the gallery, with an unnamed gunman pointing upwards with one hand and holding a gun in the other. The gunman was reportedly shouting about Aleppo, where Russia and Turkey have worked to broker a ceasefire deal and evacuate citizens.
The attack comes after protests in Turkey over Russia’s support for the Assad regime.
Update: Agence France-Presse reports the assassin is a Turkish policeman, and one Twitter user has identified him as Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş. Turkish police shot and killed Altıntaş on the scene.
A Turkish-born academic claims to have translated the assassin’s words right after the shooting, which were captured by video. (Warning: The footage is graphic.) Here is his translation:
.@lrozen “Allahu akbar! [verses from Quran]. Allahu akbar.! Do not forget Aleppo. Do not forget Syria. Don’t forget Aleppo. Dnt frgt Syr”
— Barın Kayaoğlu (@barinkayaoglu) December 19, 2016
.@lrozen “As long as our [not clear] are not safe, you will not enjoy safety. Get back. Get back. Only death will take away from here.”contd
— Barın Kayaoğlu (@barinkayaoglu) December 19, 2016
.@lrozen “Whoever has a [hand] in this oppression [Aleppo & Syria], shall account for it.” END
— Barın Kayaoğlu (@barinkayaoglu) December 19, 2016
A journalist, according to Business Insider, says Altıntaş also spoke in Arabic, “We’ve made an oath to Muhammad to die in martyrdom.”
Update II: BuzzFeed News reports that the Turkish government confirms Altıntaş was the assasin and was a a police officer:
#Breaking Minister of the Interior Suleyman Soylu confirms the identity of Russian ambassador assassin: police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas pic.twitter.com/3E2kpoK9n7
— Alp Ozcelik (@alplicable) December 19, 2016
