Netanyahu condemns ‘assassination’ of Russian envoy

The murder of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was a “brutal assassination”, Israel’s prime minister has said.

Diplomat Andrei Karlov was gunned down at a photography exhibition in Ankara, with the killer named by the Turkish authorities as 22-year-old riot policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas.

Israel’s PM said in a statement: “Israel condemns the brutal assassination of Ambassador Andrey Karlov this evening in Ankara. We send our deepest condolences to his family and to the Russian people.
The murder of a diplomat serves as a stark reminder of the need for the civilized world to come together in fighting the forces of terrorism.”

Dramatic images showed suited assassin Altintas brandishing a pistol as he shouted slogans linked to the war in Syria.

Russian forces have supported Syrian president Bashar Assad’s troops in the battle to retake rebel-held areas of Aleppo in recent weeks.

The killer, who fired multiple shots, shouted in Turkish: “Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria!”

He also shouted “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great”.

In the UK, Sir Alan Duncan said the Foreign Office had been in contact with the authorities in Turkey and Russia following the assassination. Appearing before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, he said: “We obviously fully condemn this, it’s a heinous attack.

“You can be assured that the Foreign Office, in a proper way, has been in contact both with our Turkish and our Russian counterparts to express our condolences.”

After murdering the ambassador, Altintas was killed in a shoot-out with Turkish police.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson condemned the “despicable murder” of the ambassador as a “cowardly attack”.