Karlov was making a speech at the opening of a photographic exhibition examining Turkish and Russian cultural ties. NTV said three other people were wounded in the incident. In photographs posted on Twitter, the gunman was shown standing dressed in a suit and tie, handgun held aloft. Four people including what appeared to be the ambassador lay on the floor nearby.Pictures emerged later online of the gunman lying shot on the ground with multiple bullet wounds. Turkey's Interior Minister said that the other three wounded people were not in a serious condition, and that one had already been released from hospital.Покушение на посла России в Турции https://t.co/fZOhvqesOQ pic.twitter.com/wBwV9qTvdA
— Грани.Ру (@GraniTweet) December 19, 2016
#BREAKING: Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov shot at opening of an art exhibition in Ankara; Condition unkown pic.twitter.com/qOqQbHXM8H#Russian ambassador to #Turkey was killed by the Turkish policeman pic.twitter.com/exjfNHkQXd
— Warfare Worldwide (@WarfareWW) December 19, 2016
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) December 19, 2016
Russia and Turkey have been involved in conflict in Syria across the border from where over two million Syrian refugees have settled. Turkey has been a staunch opponent of President Bashar Assad while Russia has deployed troops and its air force in support of the Syrian leader.Relations between Moscow and Ankara have long been fraught over the conflict, the two supporting opposing sides, however ties were warming in recent months. Russia said in the hours after the attack that the incident was a "lowly terrorist attack," and that it would not overshadow ties between the two nations. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as Russian-backed Syrian forces have fought for control of the eastern part of the city of Aleppo, triggering a stream of refugees.It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack. ISIS militants and Kurdish rebels have been active in Turkey and carried out several bomb attacks on civilian and military targets. The United States condemned the gun attack on the Russian ambassador, the US State Department said."We condemn this act of violence, whatever its source," said US State Department spokesman John Kirby in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."Reuters contributed to this report.#BREAKING: Russian ambassador in Turkey Andrey Karlov shot in capital Ankara pic.twitter.com/q0dMbeYHyU
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) December 19, 2016