of taking part in the failed coup against President Erdogan in July


A chilling new video shows the moment an off-duty police officer calmly patrols an art gallery floor before pulling his gun on Russia's ambassador to Turkey.

Standing tall in a smart black tie and suit, the 22-year-old gives no hint at the terror he is about to unleash in Ankara.

Mevlut Mert Altintas is filmed adjusting his jacket as the ambassador speaks to a distinguished crowd of journalists and art lovers.

He reaches inside to touch his holster once - but seems to change his mind and clasps his hands back together.

He sways from one foot to another, then slowly paces over to stand on the other side of the ambassador. The side from which he will kill.

Altintas calmly moves again, seemingly looking at the artwork before reaching into his pocket a second time, fiddling for a moment, then returning to his poised stance.

After touching his nose he reaches into his jacket one last time, grabbing his semi-automatic weapon and gunning down Ambassador Andrei Karlov, 62, from behind.

Shots are heard and the camera cuts out.

The assassin who gunned down Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov has been named as a Turkish police officer named Mevlut Mert Altintas, pictured, who was killed afterwards

Altintas, pictured left, stood behind Ambassador Karlov, centre, as he began his speech before shooting him dead

Russian media on Tuesday reacted with outrage to the killing.

'The murderer was afraid to look him in the eye,' ran the banner frontpage headline on pro-Kremlin paper Izvestiya above a dramatic picture of Karlov with his killer looming behind.

'They did not shoot at Karlov. They shot at Russia,' Senator Konstantin Kosachev said in comments published alongside.

Karlov was at the opening of a Russian photography exhibition in Ankara with his wife when Altintas crying 'Aleppo' and 'Allahu Akbar' (God is greatest) unleashed his attacker.

The killer had staked out the scene of the shooting exactly one week before, reports say.

Both Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the attack a 'provocation' aimed at sabotaging ties that have been patched up since a furious dispute over Ankara's downing of a Russian jet in Syria in November 2015.

Putin also said that the killing in Ankara was designed to undermine efforts to find a settlement on the conflict in Syria that are currently being spearheaded by Russia and Turkey.

The gunman claimed the assassination was because of Russia's actions in Aleppo. He reportedly shouted in Turkish: 'Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!'

Marina Karlov mourns her husband laying her head on top of his flag-wrapped coffin during a ceremony at Esenboga airport

Marina broke down at her husband's coffin. 'My husband did not do anything wrong, nobody even put any threats against him, I would have known,' she told the secret services after the shooting

The flag-wrapped coffin of late Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is carried to a plane during a ceremony at Esenboga airport in Ankara on Tuesday

In an interview with Izvestiya, the head of Russia's parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, Leonid Slutsky, warned those who try to drive a wedge between Russia and Turkey would fail.

'The main thing is that there will not be a new round of tensions between Russia and Turkey, no matter how much our opponents want this,' he said.

'This was a terrible tragedy, but interstate relations overall will not suffer from this.'

Other outlets were, however, harsher toward Ankara - which state television had portrayed as Russia's top foe in the wake of the jet's downing - pointing out that Turkish authorities had been unable to protect the Russian envoy.

'Responsibility for the death of a foreign ambassador on its territory always lies with the host country,' Moskovsky Komsomolets tabloid wrote, adding that the murder was 'yet another powerful blow' to the reputation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Questions are being raised as to how Altintas, who comes from a secular family, came to shoot dead Karlov.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday blamed the group of exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen for the assassination.

In an interview with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Cavusoglu said 'Turkey and Russia know that behind the attack... there is FETO,' it said, referring to Turkey's acronym for Gulen's organisation.

Gulen - an exile accused of orchestrating an abortive coup in Turkey in July - had earlier condemned the assassination as a 'terrorist act' that left him 'shocked and deeply saddened.'

Turkey's authoritarian government has imposed a temporary blackout on media coverage of the Russian ambassador's shooting.

An online listing remains showing him as a serving policeman on an official database, yet pro-government media have claimed Altintas was reportedly one of some 8,000 fired from the police as a result of an investigation into the July 'coup' against President Erdogan.

The newspapers claim the killer was sacked from the riot police on a posting to Diyarbakir after his commander Kahraman Sezer fell under suspicion.

They also claimed that Altintas took two days' holiday immediately after the coup.

Six suspects including his father İsrafil Altıntaş, mother Hamidiye, sister Seher Altıntaş, uncle and flatmate were today in custody undergoing questioning about his motives, and whether he was linked to an extremist group.

Photos have emerged of the gunman's sister who is believed to be in her late 20s.

Six people have been arrested over the shooting including Altıntaş sister (pictured), father, mother, uncle and flatmate

Late Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov's wife Marina a attends ceremony at Esenboga airport in Ankara on Tuesday

The flag-wrapped coffin of late Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov is carried to a plane during a ceremony at Esenboga airport in Ankara

Honour guards salute next to the flag-wrapped coffin of late Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov

ENVOY'S KILLING EXPOSES TURKISH TENSION WITH RUSSIA The assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey has exposed deep tensions between the two countries, despite a reconciliation deal in June. The Turkish government has been one of the main backers of the Syrian rebels since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. Russia, however, is a major Assad ally, helping the Syrian army make major gains on the ground after launching a bombing campaign last year. Turkey and Russia forged a deal in June to normalise relations, which were badly damaged in November last year over the downing of a Russian war jet by Turkish planes on the Syrian border. President Tayyip Erdogan has in the last months remained largely silent on Russian bombing in Syria. But with Assad and his supporters closing in on a major victory in Aleppo, there have been almost daily protests outside the Russian embassy and consulate in Ankara and Istanbul in the week before the assassination. Major anti-Russian demonstrations have also been taking place at the Syrian border, with crowds crying: 'Murderer Russia, get out of Syria!' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday joined a meeting of his Russian and Iranian counterparts, agreeing that a truce in Aleppo should be widened. But a Turkish official denied any secret 'bargain' with Russia and said the two sides had 'agreed to disagree' on the key issue of the future of Russia's ally Assad. Experts have suggested that Erdogan's government is walking on a 'tightrope' in its effort to cooperate with Russia over the future of Syria. Advertisement

The assassin's father Esrafil reportedly told police during an interrogation: 'I cannot understand how he did something like that. I am so surprised.'

Police detained Altıntas's uncle, who had been working at a closed school allegedly linked to the Gülen movement in the Kuşadası district, on Tuesday. He was reportedly previously detained as part of the investigation into the failed July 15 coup attempt.

Gunman Altintas moved to Ankara one and a half months ago and was allegedly living with a supporter of the the Gülen movement, an Islamic transnational religious and social movement led by controversial Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, based in the US.

The Turkish authorities have acted to crush what they call the Gulenist Terror Organisation FETO.

The government says Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, created a 'parallel network' in the police, military, judiciary and civil service aimed at overthrowing the state. Gulen denies this.

Today pro-government newspapers linked the assassination to the group. 'An attack on friendship by treacherous FETO,' said Sabah daily. 'A bullet from FETO,' added the Star daily.

But the Gulen movement has refuted any connection, media representative Alp Aslandogan said the exiled cleric condemned the murder as a 'heinous act'.

One theory is that the killer stayed at a hotel in recent days to plan the attack.

A computer and documents have been seized by Turkish police from the family home (pictured) in Soke, 35 miles south-west of the city of Aydin, near the Aegean coast

Altintas's family house is next to an office of the neighbourhood authorities (pictured)

Hours after the assassination, Turkish police arrested Altintas's mother at her home

Details of the killer were soon shared on social media showing him in his police uniform

'GUESTS HID UNDER TABLES': ONE WITNESS DESCRIBES THE SCENE Photographer Burhan Ozbilic was covering the exhibition for the Associated Press. He recounts the chaos of the scene: 'The event was routine enough - the opening of an exhibit of photographs of Russia - and when a man on stage pulled out a gun I thought it was a theatrical flourish. 'It was anything but. Moments later the Russian ambassador was sprawled on the floor and the attacker was waving his gun at the rest of us, shouting slogans. 'He shot the ambassador at least once more at close range and smashed some of the framed photos on the wall. In all there were at least eight shots. 'Guests ran for cover, hiding behind columns and under tables. I composed myself enough to shoot pictures.' Advertisement

Altintas set off the metal detector security check when he entered the exhibition in central Ankara as he was carrying a gun, said pro-government Sabah daily.

But after showing his police ID, he was waved through and allowed to proceed.

Hurriyet newspaper daily claimed he had put on a suit and tie and shaved at the hotel before heading to the exhibition centre.

Before he was shot dead himself by special forces, Altintas shouted in Turkish: 'Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!'

He then warned journalists filming the event: 'Stand back! Stand back! Only death will take me out of here. Anyone who has a role in this oppression will die one by one.'

Amid the chaotic scenes, eyewitnesses reported that Altintas shouted 'Allahu akbar', the Arabic phrase for 'God is great'.

Another theory is that he had been radicalised by a Jihadist group in Syria.

It is claimed he was active in his youth with President Erdogan's AKP party and may have been linked with the Al Nusra Front, a Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda.

In Arabic, Altintas can reportedly be heard saying: 'We are the descendants of those who supported the Prophet Muhammad for jihad.'

According to local media, his words are similar to the unofficial anthem of Al Nusra.

Some reports claimed he said words to the effect of: 'We made an oath to die in martyrdom … it is revenge for Syria and Aleppo … until they are safe, you will not taste safety.'

Gunned down: The Russian ambassador is shot in the back and at least once at close range after collapsing to the ground. He dies of his injuries shortly afterwards

Taken out: Altintas was shot dead by Turkish security forces who responded to the assassination

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER URGES NO 'CONCESSIONS TO TERRORISTS' AFTER ENVOY MURDER Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday there should be no 'concessions to terrorists' at talks with his Turkish counterpart on Syria, a day after Moscow's ambassador was murdered in Ankara. 'This tragedy forces all of us to fight more decisively against terrorism,' Lavrov told Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu as they sat down together in Moscow. 'For this reason, I very much hope that our talks and the upcoming three-way meeting with our Iranian colleague will allow us to reach agreements, which will through concrete actions advance the settlement in Syria,' Lavrov said, also insisting that they should not allow 'any concessions to terrorists'. Foreign and defence ministers from Russia, Turkey and Iran are holding talks on the conflict in Syria, which has entered a crucial stage with the government takeover of rebel-held eastern Aleppo. 'If the organisers of this terror attack were aiming to derail the fight against terrorists in general and today's meeting in particular, they have not succeeded and they won't succeed,' Lavrov said at the start of separate talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Lavrov said he hoped the countries would come up with 'the most effective and concrete steps' to normalise the situation in Syria and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to desperate civilians. The United States has been left out of the talks in a clear sign that Moscow is attempting to forge its own settlement for Syria after failing to make headway with Washington. Advertisement

When the violence erupted in the exhibition, Altintas smashed several of the framed photos on the wall as others ran for cover.

Witness Hasim Kilic, a journalist for Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, told AFP: 'It happened during the opening of an exhibition. When the ambassador was delivering a speech, a tall man wearing a suit, fired into the air first and then took aim at the ambassador.

'He said something about Aleppo and 'revenge'. He ordered the civilians to leave the room. When people were fleeing, he fired again.

An unnamed witness added to news website Diken: 'There was a single attacker. He was wearing a suit. He said to the Russian ambassador: 'I'm not going to get out of here alive. And neither are you.'

'Then he took aim straight at him. We all ran out. The ambassador was motionless on the ground.'

A Turkish website claimed to show sections of Altintas's personnel police file

Photographer Burhan Ozbilici, who was covering the exhibition, said: 'The Russian ambassador was sprawled on the floor and the attacker was waving his gun at the rest of us, shouting slogans.

'He shot the ambassador at least once more at close range and smashed some of the framed photos … In all there were at least eight shots. Guests ran for cover, hiding behind columns and under tables.'

The assassin graduated from Izmir's police vocational school and served for at least two years in the riot police.

A computer and documents have been seized by Turkish police from the family home in Soke, 35 miles south-west of the city of Aydin, near the Aegean coast, where his father Esrafil, mother Hamidiye, and his sister, Seher Ozeroglu, who works in a clothes shop, live.

Meanwhile, Karlov's widow Marina was reported to have had a 'nervous breakdown' in the moments after he was killed.

As the shooting began she fell to the floor like others in the audience at the photographic exhibition.

She was rushed to hospital, and is being accompanied by the embassy doctor and psychologists when she flies with her husband's remains back to Moscow today.

In a statement to the Turkish secret services, she recounted the horrific moment her husband was killed.

'I was lying on the floor along with the others. There were many people at the exhibition. All of us were shocked with what had happened.

'I recovered only when we were already on the way to the hospital. I think my husband was already dead by then.

'He shot at him 11 times. We did not have any security guards at all. Only an interpreter accompanied us from time to time.

'When we came to the hospital, the mayor of Ankara came too, and people from Health Ministry. They talked together for a long time and later they said that my husband was dead. I was shocked. I immediately felt unwell.'

Ambassador Karlov was a key figure in seeking to forge contacts with opposition forces in Syria, Moscow claimed today.

'This is the man who was in touch with opposition forces, including the Syrian opposition,' said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

'He was initiating dialogue between them. It adds a new understanding to the tragedy.

'He was devoted to peace making, in true meaning of these words.

'He knew how terrorists are born, how they spread their ideas in this region, how hard it is to start a political process.'

The Russian Investigative Committee - equivalent of the FBI - announced they are treating the 'murder' of Karlov 'as an act of international terrorism'.

Today they sent a team of investigators to Ankara to probe the killing.

Vladimir Putin declared that 'we have to know who directed the hand of the killer' .

Putin called the killing of Russia's ambassador a 'provocation' aimed at sabotaging warming ties between Moscow and Ankara and efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria.

'There can be only one answer to this -- stepping up the fight against terrorism, and the bandits will feel this,' said the Kremlin leader.

On the edge: Riot officer Altintas waved his arms in the air as he shouted at the terrified visitors inside the gallery

Fatal shooting: Gunman Altintas, 22, an off-duty police officer, fired into the air before taking aim at Andrei Karlov

The body of slain Karlov will be airlifted to Moscow today, said embassy officials.

'Later today, a mourning ceremony with a limited number of participants will take place at the airport,' said spokeswoman Irina Kasimova.

'Turkish diplomats and high-ranking officials are expected to attend the ceremony.

'After that, the ambassador's body will be delivered to Russia.'

His family and the embassy's doctor will accompany the envoy's remains to Moscow.

Diplomats at the embassy are expected to nominate Karlov for a posthumous state award to be bestowed by Vladimir Putin.

Turkey and Russia are seeking to warm ties despite major disagreements on the Syria conflict.

Ankara has given its backing to rebels seeking to topple Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad.

The Russian foreign ministry today expressed thanks for international condemnation of Karlov's assassination.

'We express our appreciation to all our colleagues and partners for their words of support.

'We highly appreciate the solidarity shown to us,' the ministry said in a statement.

Moscow could seek to extradite associates of the slain killer to face justice in Russia, it is believed.

Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said a criminal investigation has been launched in Moscow.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: 'We are convinced that the main goal of those who planned this barbarian action was to ruin the process of normalisation of relations between Russia and Turkey and to block the effective fight with terrorists in Syria.'

The Russian foreign ministry stated: 'We expect the Turkish authorities to cooperate closely with the Russian investigation to thoroughly investigate all details of this barbaric crime, find and punish the culprits and to take the most effective measures to ensure security of Russian citizens, foreign mission and diplomatic staff.

'The Russian side is ready to do our part in cooperation with the Turkish law-enforcement authorities to bring those guilty to justice.

'The Foreign Ministry expresses the deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of Mr Karlov. The memory of this outstanding Russian diplomat will remain in the hearts of all who knew him forever.

UKRAINIAN MP CALLS ASSASSIN A 'HERO' Ukranian MP Volodymyr Parasiuk said on Facebook that the gunman was a 'hero' A Ukrainian MP today called the assassin of Russia's ambassador to Turkey a 'hero'. His sick comment - posted on Facebook - has caused shock in Moscow. Volodymyr Parasiuk, 29, is an independent MP who is believed to have been a volunteer fighter for Ukrainian forces against the Russians in the east of his country. 'When a man puts his life at stake and is ready to take radical measures for ideas, for truth, then you can definitely say - A HERO!' he wrote. His posting was beside a picture of the gun-toting murderer Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, next to the body of Russian envoy Andrey Karlov. He posted the message in the Ukrainian language on his Facebook where he has more than 150,000 subscribers. The politician is from Lviv and he was a member of the 'Dnepr 1 fighter' volunteer regiment under the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. One Russian reader claimed his remarks were 'twisted and hateful'. Advertisement

Brutal: As Mr Karlov lay dying on the floor, Altintas shot him at least once more at close range

Chilling pledge: The gunman said he would not leave the scene alive as he screamed at terrified guests inside the gallery

Taking aim: It reportedly took about 15 minutes before the gunman was himself shot dead at the gallery

Unhinged: He continued to shout in Turkish and Arabic as the victim lay dead at his feet

Explosive: Altintas turned his gun on others, injuring three. He was heard shouting slogans in both Turkish and Arabic

Anger: A discarded pair of glasses are seen on the floor of the gallery alongside the ambassador's body

Target: Mr Karlov (pictured) was about to give a speech at an art exhibition when the gunman burst in and began firing at him

Fear: As Karlov lay on the floor, the assassin aimed his gun at the journalists and members of the public at the gallery opening

Destruction: The gunman smashed paintings at the gallery after shooting the ambassador

Escape: Guests were evacuated from the gallery after Mr Karlov was shot dead by the Turkish police officer

Shocking: When the violence erupted, Altintas smashed several of the framed photos on the wall as others ran for cover

Terror: Spectators cowered in the corner of the gallery as Mr Karlov was shot at close range by the 22-year-old gunman

ASSASSINATION WAS ORGANISED BY 'NATO SECRET SERVICES' CLAIMS KREMLIN SENATOR The secret services of a NATO country is 'highly likely' to have been behind the assassination of ambassador Andrei Karlov, claimed a top ally of Vladimor Putin. Senior senator Frantz Klintsevich, deputy chairman of the Russian upper chamber's defence and security committee, said: 'It was a planned action. 'Everyone knew that he was going to attend this photo exhibition. 'It can be ISIS, or the Kurdish army which tries to hurt Erdogan. 'But may be - and it is highly likely - that representatives of foreign NATO secrets services are behind it. 'What has happened is a true provocation, a challenge. 'It is a challenge for Russia.' The senator is a member of the ruling council of United Russia party, Putin's vehicle of power. The Russian Foreign Ministry vowed that terrorism would not win after the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Turkey. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: 'We call this event an act of terror. 'Terrorism will not win. 'We will strongly fight it.' Advertisement

'This tragedy obliges us to put even more effort in a fight against terrorism in all its forms.'

The Russian embassy in London issued a statement declaring: 'We are shocked by the repugnant murder of Russia's Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov, our very good friend and an outstanding diplomat.

'It was hard to imagine how such an outrage could happen.

'It is a reminder for all of us that no person or country is immune to terrorism.

'Ankara is not far from conflict areas and the diplomats working there have always been on the frontline.

'Mr Karlov's posting to Ankara was no random choice. A person with highest diplomatic qualities was needed there, as regards both professionalism and active civic stance.

'His experience at the MFA and in high positions abroad helped him to make a major contribution to stabilization of the Russia-Turkey relationship and its active development in today's challenging conditions.

'The terrorists' choice of target was not random either. In essence, they wanted to deal a blow to the recovering counter-terrorism cooperation between Moscow and Ankara.

'The assassination of Andrey Karlov is another testimony to the need for creation, in deeds, not words, of a united anti-terrorist front by the international community, i.e. what Russia called for on successive occasions.'

Andrey Baklanov, the deputy chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats, said the 'villainous murder' of Karlov was to seek to disrupt warming relations between Ankara and Moscow which would 'seriously damage the position of ISIS and other extremist organizations'.

He said: 'There is only one possible response to this violent act: to do what terrorists fear most to all, to fight for rapprochement of Russian and Turkish position, and also for rapprochement of all other countries regarding fight with terror.'

He called on the West to revert to the fight against Hitler in the Second World War when Britain and the US allied themselves with the USSR.

'Today we hear condolences from many capitals of this world, including Western countries,' he said.

High alert: Dozens of armed police gathered outside the art centre in Ankara after the fatal shooting of Mr Karlov

A police cordon was put in place after the assassination, near the Russian embassy in Ankara

Dozens of police officers arrived at the scene in the wake of the shooting on Monday night

A photograph of Mr Karlov was left alongside bouquets of flowers outside the Russian foreign ministry in Moscow

A woman pays her respects to Mr Karlov by leaving a bouquet of flowers outside the Russian Foreign Ministry, in Moscow

VLADIMIR PUTIN BRANDS KILLING A 'PROVOCATION' Vladimir Putin tonight condemned the killing of the Russian ambassador as a 'provocation' aimed at sabotaging ties between Moscow and Ankara. The Russian president said the death of Andrei Karlov, 62, was designed to 'disrupt the peace process in Syria' as he vowed to 'step up the fight against terrorism'. He ordered security at Russian embassies around the world to be stepped up and said he wanted to know who had 'directed' the gunman's hand. Russian investigators will be sent to Ankara to investigate the killing, he said at the meeting tonight. Moscow has branded the killing as a 'terrorist act'. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin, right, and Alexander Bortnikov, second from right, director of the Federal Security Service, on Monday night Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, pictured, said both he and Putin had agreed they must work together in the fight against terrorism Meanwhile Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said both he and Putin had agreed they must work together in the fight against terrorism as he reiterated the ties between their two countries. Speaking at a special meeting at the Kremlin tonight, Putin said: 'The crime that was committed is without doubt a provocation aimed at disrupting the normalisation of Russian-Turkish relations and disrupting the peace process in Syria that is being actively advanced by Russia, Turkey and Iran. 'There can be only one answer to this - stepping up the fight against terrorism, and the bandits will feel this.' Putin, who said he personally knew Mr Karlov, said he had agreed in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart and agreed Russian investigators would soon fly to Ankara to help with the investigation. Putin added: 'We have to know who directed the hand of the killer. Putin called Mr Karlov a 'brilliant diplomat' and said he had known the ambassador personally. Pictured, the men together in October Advertisement

'We are grateful for their kind feelings but we think that solidarity must be supported with certain actions.

'Unfortunately we don't see such actions yet.

'On the contrary, Western politicians do not withdraw their sanctions against Russia. Is this the right spirit for cooperation with your allies?

'During World War Two, Britain and the USA have revised their approaches to collaboration with the USSR and provided massive help as land-lease in an atmosphere of joint resistance to fascism.

'Today we need Western countries to demonstrate basic decency towards our country.

'And moreover the logic of preventing new acts of terror at the territory of those Western countries demands it too.'

There is now a 'moral duty is to conquer terrorism as we conquered fascism earlier'.

CHURCH BELLS TO RING IN GODLESS NORTH KOREA WHEN SLAIN AMBASSADOR KARLOV IS BURIED IN MOSCOW Bells will ring at the North Korean church that ambassador Andrey Karlov got married in when he is buried in Moscow. Extraordinary pictures emerged the diplomat getting married to wife Marina in the church he helped to build in the godless communist country. Karlov was formerly ambassador to the repressive state, and made sure an Orthodox place of worship was established for Russian expats. Alexander Matsegora, the current Russian ambassador to North Korea, paid an emotional tribute to his predecessor on Tuesday in a Facebook post from Pyongyang. He wrote: 'My friend Andrey Karlov has died. In a cowardly way, he was shot in the back. He was killed under the cameras and I saw his face distorted from pain at the moment of the shot. 'On TV we heard that he was injured and in hospital. Together with my wife Tanya, we sent a text message to his wife Marina who was also present at the opening of this damned exhibition. We told her to be strong. 'And she replied: 'Andrey was killed in front of my eyes, he was lying on the floor and this [gun]man did not allow us to come up to him.''' He added: 'Farewell, Andrey. I promise that on the day when you go into the ground, the bells of the Orthodox Trinity church in Pyongyang - that you built and where you married Marina - will speak. 'Farewell, my best friend, my brother, my dear comrade.' He last saw Karlov in Russia in the summer, when he spoke of his love of Turkey, the country where he was killed. He said: 'We drank tea, he spoke a lot about Turkey. He was already loving it. He invited us to come and see him, he promised to show us some great and beautiful places.' Advertisement



