Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was shot dead. The diplomat died in Ankara while being transported to hospital by ambulance: his condition had appeared extremely serious from the outset. Three other people were wounded in what the Moscow authorities immediately described as "a terrorist act".

"The gunman spoke about Syria"

The shots were fired by a tall man dressed in a jacket and tie, who acted while Karlov was delivering a speech at the opening of a photography exhibition. The gunman – according to Hasim Kiliç, a correspondent for the daily Hurriyet, speaking to AFP – first fired into the air, then pointed the gun at the ambassador, shouting: "Do not forget Syria, do not forget Aleppo. As long as its people are in danger, so will you be."

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Turkish special forces then moved in and killed him. The attack has not yet been claimed, but according to Hurriyet the gunman also shouted Islamist slogans. Local media reported that the man had managed to bypass security checks by showing a police identity card and stating in particular that he was one of Karlov's own bodyguards. Russian president Vladimir Putin will hold an emergency meeting with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and the heads of the security services. Meanwhile, the United States condemned the attack without hesitation.

The attacker is a police officer

The man was identified as a police officer named Mert Altintas, 22 years old, who had graduated in 2014 from the Rustu Unsal academy in Izmir.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan – according to the Ansa agency – called his Russian counterpart Putin. "We condemn this vile terrorist attack. Ambassador Karlov was an exceptional diplomat who worked during a difficult period in Turkey and earned the respect of the entire state for his personal and professional qualities. We will not allow this attack to overshadow the friendship between Turkey and Russia," Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Turchia ambasciadore assassino — The killer of the Russian ambassador to Turkey ©STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)

The attack comes on the eve of a meeting, scheduled for tomorrow in Moscow, between the diplomatic representatives of Russia, Turkey and Iran, aimed at taking stock of the situation in Aleppo and, more broadly, in Syria.

Ankara, Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead