Ankara: An armed riot police officer dressed in a suit, tie and white shirt pulled out a gun and fired a shot at Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov when he was delivering a speech at an art gallery in Ankara.
A video footage of the entire incident which is doing the rounds on the internet, shows the gunman standing discreetly behind Karlov.
The gunman then brandished his gun at shocked onlookers, jabbing his finger in the air and pacing backwards and forwards as Karlov lied motionless on his back.
He shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") and then talked about pledging allegiance to jihad in accented Arabic.
He then switched to Turkish language and said, "Don't forget about Syria, don't forget about Aleppo. All those who participate in this tyranny will be held accountable".
The terrified guests meanwhile cowered behind the tall cocktail tables laid out for the exhibition opening.
Immediately after the shooting, police entered the building and were followed by special forces.
The Russian ambassador was taken to Ankara Hospital where he was pronounced dead despite efforts to revive him.
The shooting came on the eve of a crucial meeting between the Turkish, Russian and Iranian foreign ministers on the Syrian conflict.
