Russian Ambassador to Turkey Fatally Shot in Ankara Terrorist Attack, Russia Says



ISTANBUL — A lone gunman shot Russia’s ambassador to Turkey and at least three others Monday evening at an art center in Ankara, the Turkish capital. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the envoy had died in a terrorist attack.

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Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, speaking at the gallery in Ankara on Monday, moments before he was shot. Credit Burhan Ozbilici/Associated Press

The envoy, Andrey G. Karlov, was shot from behind while speaking at an exhibition, according to multiple accounts including one from The Associated Press, which cited one of its photographers, who was at the scene, the Contemporary Arts Center in the Cankaya area of Ankara.

Others said the ambassador immediately fell to the floor and that the gunman was killed after a shootout with Turkish Special Forces police.

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People huddle during the shooting in the art gallery. Credit Burhan Ozbilici/Associated Press

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told the Rossiya 24 news channel that Mr. Karlov had died of his wounds in what she described as a terrorist attack.

CNN Turk published images showing several people lying on the floor of the gallery. The Turkish television news station NTV reported that at least three other people had been wounded.

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The gunman gestures after shooting the Russian ambassador. Credit Burhan Ozbilici/Associated Press

Russia’s Tass news agency initially quoted witnesses of the attack as saying that there had been an “assassination attempt” against Mr. Karlov, and that he had been shot from behind while finishing his opening remarks at the opening of exhibition called “Russia through Turks’ eyes.”

The attack came amid protests in Turkey over Russia’s role in the Syria war. The Russian and Turkish governments, while backing different sides in the conflict, have been collaborating in efforts to evacuate civilians from the ravaged city of Aleppo.

Mr. Karlov, who started his career as a diplomat in 1976, worked extensively in North Korea over two decades, before moving to the region in 2007, according to a biography on the Russian Embassy’s website. He became ambassador in July 2013.

Correction: December 19, 2016

An earlier version of this article misidentified the government that has collaborated with Russia even though it backs a different side in the Syrian conflict. It is Turkey, not Syria.

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