Russian envoy's murder no coincidence, says Turkish PM

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's Prime Minister said Monday's terror attack on Russian ambassador came in a period when the two countries were closely working to find solutions to the regional problems including Syria.

"It is certainly not a coincidence," Binali Yildirim told reporters in Istanbul late Monday following the assassination of Moscow’s ambassador in Ankara Andrey Karlov.

Turkey shares Russian people's pain, said Yildirim as he expressed his condolences.

Yildirim praised the efforts of Karlov, who he said served a lot to improve the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Russian envoy was shot dead on Monday evening as he attended the opening ceremony of an art gallery in capital Ankara.

The exhibition was about the history, the present day, and the future of Turkey-Russia relations, Yildirim said, adding:

"It was an important social activity which would contribute to Turkey-Russia relations."

The ambassador was delivering a speech when the assailant opened fire on the diplomat before shooting into the air, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent who witnessed the incident.

The envoy was seriously wounded and immediately taken to Guven Hospital in the capital’s Cankaya district, where he was later pronounced dead.

Police special forces neutralized the assailant in an operation that lasted around 15 minutes.

"Terror is a global threat," Yildirim stressed. "Common attitude towards terrorism, common fight, regional and global cooperation are inevitable."

Turkish premier also said he talked over the phone with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.

"We reached consensus that this incident would not destroy our relations," Yildirim added.