Story highlights He was Russia's ambassador to Turkey since 2013

Described as "quietly spoken, hospitable professional"

(CNN) Andrey Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Turkey, was shot dead Monday at an art exhibition in Ankara.

Karlov, who was appointed as Moscow's man in the capital since July 2013, was married, and had a son, according to the Russian Embassy

He had served as ambassador at a fractious time in Russian-Turkey ties; diplomatic relations hit a low after Turkish forces shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syria border in November 2015.

In the wake of that attack, Karlov accused Turkey of encouraging an anti-Russia campaign, in an interview with Russia's state-run TASS news agency.

"Of late, Turkey more often makes unfounded accusations, in particular, that Russia's military aircraft allegedly violate the airspace," he said. "Most often, this misinformation launches anti-Russian campaigns in the Turkish mass media or becomes their part."

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