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Andrey Karlov. (Embassy of the Russian Federation in Turkey)
The Russian ambassador to Turkey was killed during a shooting at an art gallery opening Monday night in the Ankara, Russia’s state-run news agency, RIA, reports.
The gunman yelled out references to the situation in Aleppo, Syria, after the shooting, CNN reports. Turkish media have identified the shooter as a 22-year-old police officer, Mevlüt Mert Altintas.
Russian authorities have referred to the assassination as a “terror attack.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Karlov Was Shot by a Man in a Suit Posing as a Member of His Security Team (Warning: Graphic)
#VIDEO: Another footage of #assassination of #Russia's #ambassador to #Turkey #AndreyKarlov in #Ankara:
— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) December 19, 2016
A video taken by a witness, which you can see above, shows the attack on Andrey Karlov.
According to the Associated Press and other reports, Karlov was shot by a man wearing a suit who appeared to have been posing as a member of the security team protecting the Russian ambassador.
Karlov was at the gallery in Ankara to give a speech for the opening of an art exhibit called “Russia as seen by Turks.”
“We regard this as a terrorist act,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Reuters. “Terrorism will not win and we will fight against it decisively.”
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Read more about Karlov in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com:
2. The Gunman Yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ After Opening Fire
The gunman shouted about Aleppo, Syria, after opening fire, CNN Turk reports.
The Associated Press, which has a photographer at the scene, reports the gunman shouted “Allahu Akbar.”
A reporter for the Hurriyet Daily News also said the gunman recited Islamist slogans before the attack.
The attack on Andrey Karlov comes as diplomats from Russia, Iran and Turkey are set to meet to discuss the situation in Aleppo.
3. The Gunman Was Later Killed During a Gun Fight With Security Forces
Security forces were in a gun fight with the assailant after the shooting, according to a reporter for the Hurriyet newspaper.
A graphic photo, which you can see below, shows the gunman after he was killed:
4. Karlov Became Russian Ambassador to Turkey in 2013
Karlov has been the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Turkey since July 2013, according to the embassy’s website.
He was a lifelong diplomat, starting his career in 1976 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1979 to 1984, and then again from 1986 to 1997, he was assigned to his country’s embassy in South Korea.
He was Russia’s ambassador to South Korea from 2001 to 2006, before returning home to serve as the deputy director general for consular affairs from 2007 to 2013.
5. He Was Married & Has a Son
Andrey Karlov, whose name is also at times spelled Andrei Karlov, was married and has a son, according to the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Turkey’s website.
He was born in 1954 in Moscow, and graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1976.
