State ceremony held for assassinated Russian envoy

By Ayse Humeyra Atilgan

ANKARA

Assassination of Moscow’s ambassador in Ankara Andrey Karlov "was another provocation of those who target Turkey-Russia friendship," said Turkey's deputy prime minister.

Tugrul Turkes said the perpetrators "did not kill Karlov but embedded him into history."

"Karlov became an immortal symbol of Turkey-Russia friendship," Turkes said.

His remarks came at a brief state ceremony at Ankara's Esenboga International Airport where the ambassador's remains were being placed on board an aircraft for repatriation to Russia.

His spouse and family attended the ceremony where farewell speeches and prayings were held.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu as well as a number of high level Russian and Turkish diplomats were present at the ceremony.

"We lost a friend," Turkes said, recalling how much the ambassador worked to improve the bilateral relations between the two countries.

"Our determination is as great as our pain; Turkey-Russia relations will remain as strong as ever," he noted.

"Rest in peace Mr. Ambassador."

Karlov was shot dead on Monday evening as he attended the opening ceremony of an art gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara.

The ambassador was delivering a speech when the assailant opened fire on the diplomat before shooting into the air, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent who witnessed the incident.

Karlov was seriously wounded and immediately taken to Guven Hospital in the capital’s Cankaya district, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police special forces neutralized the assailant -- a 22-year-old Turkish riot police officer named Mevlut Mert Altintas -- in an operation that lasted around 15 minutes.

Earlier in the afternoon Tuesday, Russia has sent a plane to take the ambassador's body and an investigative team, comprising of a prosecutor and two defense attaches.

As announced earlier by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a joint commission was established to investigate the murder.

So far six relatives and a roommate of the assassin were arrested by Turkish police; his uncle was released under judicial restrictions.

Both Moscow and Ankara agreed that the ambassador's assassination was a provocation to the improving relations between the two countries.