The Latest: White House condemns killing of Russian diplomat

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – The Latest on the attack on Russia’s ambassador to Turkey (all times local):

10:45 p.m.

The White House is strongly condemning the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, saying “this heinous attack on a member of the diplomatic corps is unacceptable.”

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price says the United States government’s thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Karlov and the other victims.

Price says “we offer our condolences to the Russian people and government.”

Price also says the U.S. government stands united with Russia and Turkey in its determination to confront terrorism in all of its forms.

Karlov was several minutes into a speech in the capital, Ankara, when a man wearing a suit and tie shouted “Allahu akbar” and fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience.

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10:40 p.m.

Senior Russian lawmakers are describing the killing of the Russian ambassador in Turkey as a provocation aimed to derail a rapprochement between the two nations.

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was gunned down Monday a day before the meeting of foreign and defense ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran in Moscow. The killing also comes amid efforts by Moscow and Ankara to broker Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan’s capital.

Leonid Slutsky, the head of the foreign affairs committee at the lower house of Russian parliament, said that unspecified opponents of Russia “are making desperate attempts to spoil ties between Russia and Turkey, but those attempts will fail.”

He and other senior lawmakers called for even closer cooperation with Turkey and refrained from advising Russians to avoid visiting Turkey.

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10:25 p.m.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has condemned “in the strongest terms” the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey.

The ministry called the attack “terrorist and cowardly” in a statement late Monday.

The Russian-Turkish diplomatic channel is one of the most important to the Syrian civil war. Their diplomats brokered an agreement in Ankara last week to evacuate the Syrian opposition from the contested city of Aleppo after months of Syrian and Russian bombardment killed hundreds of civilians and exhausted the rebels – some backed by Turkey.

After shooting the ambassador, the gunman cried, “Don’t forget Aleppo!”

Turkey’s foreign and defense ministers are expected to meet in Moscow this week with their Iranian and Russian counterparts to discuss the next developments to the Syrian war.

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10:15 p.m.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey a “despicable attack.”

Kerry said that the killing was “an assault on the right of all diplomats to safely and securely advance and represent their nations around the world.”

He said that the U.S. is ready to offer help to Russia and Turkey in the investigation of the attack.

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was several minutes into a speech at an embassy-sponsored photo exhibition in Ankara when he was shot. The assassin was later killed by police.

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10:05 p.m.

Turkey’s interior minister says that the gunman who assassinated Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was a policeman.

Suleyman Soylu said that the gunman was working for the riot police squad in Ankara for the past 2 1/2 years. He identified the attacker as Mevlut Mert Altintas, born in 1994.

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was several minutes into a speech at an embassy-sponsored photo exhibition when he was shot. The assassin was later killed by police.

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9 p.m.

The gunman who killed the Russian ambassador to Turkey at a photo exhibition in Ankara shouted in Turkish “Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria!”

The man then yelled: “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.”

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was several minutes into a speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition when he was shot. The gunman also shouted “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great.” Police later killed the gunman, according to reports.

The attack comes a day before a meeting of Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign and defense ministers in Moscow to discuss Syria.

Russia and Iran have backed Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey has supported Assad’s foes.

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8:40 p.m.

The Russian ambassador to Turkey who was fatally shot in Ankara was a career diplomat.

Andrei Karlov was 62 and he joined the diplomatic service in 1976. He served as Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang in 2001-2006, and later worked as the chief of the Foreign Ministry’s consular department. He had served as the ambassador to Turkey since 2013.

Karlov was several minutes into a speech at the embassy-sponsored photo exhibition in the capital, Ankara, when a man wearing a suit and tie shouted “Allahu akbar” and fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience.

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8:30 p.m.

A Russian official says that the country’s ambassador to Turkey has died after being shot by a gunman in Ankara.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the announcement in a live televised statement.

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was several minutes into a speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition in the capital, Ankara, when a man wearing a suit and tie shouted “Allahu akbar” and fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience.

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8:05 p.m.

The U.S. State Department has condemned the attack on the Russian ambassador in Turkey.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that “we condemn this act of violence, whatever its source. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was several minutes into a speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition in the capital, Ankara, when a man wearing a suit and tie shouted “Allahu akbar” and fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience.

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7:55 p.m.

Turkey’s private NTV television says police have shot and killed the gunman who attacked the Russian ambassador in Ankara.

NTV television, citing police sources, said the gunman was killed in a police operation inside an exhibition hall where the attack occurred.

Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov was several minutes into a speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition in the capital, Ankara, when a man wearing a suit and tie shouted “Allahu akbar” and fired at least eight shots, according to an AP photographer in the audience.

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7:45 p.m.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry says that the country’s ambassador to Turkey has been hospitalized with a gunshot wound after an attack at a photo exhibition in Ankara.

But Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova didn’t give Ambassador Andrei Karlov’s condition. Zakharova was speaking in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

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7:25 p.m.

An Associated Press photographer says a gunman has fired shots at the Russian ambassador to Turkey. The ambassador’s condition wasn’t immediately known.

The attack occurred Monday at a photo exhibition in the capital Ankara, where the ambassador was making an address.

Photographs from the scene showed a man lying on the ground with an armed man dressed in a suit standing near him.

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12/19/2016 12:09:15 PM (GMT -5:00)