Russia Ambassador To Turkey Killed Video: Footage Shows Moscow Diplomat Gunned Down In Ankara Before Major Syria Talks

UPDATED: 6:50 p.m. EST — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement offering condolences to the ambassador’s family.

“The murder of an ambassador is a violation of all rules of civilized order and must be universally condemned,” Trump said.

UPDATED: 6:38 p.m. EST — Turkish officials identified the suspected gunman as a police officer but it was unclear whether he was on duty. Mevlut Mert Altintas was born in 1994 in Soke, Turkey, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told a news conference.

The Anadolu news agency reported it was unclear whether Altintas was captured or killed.

UPDATED: 6:10 p.m. EST — Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to retaliate to whoever orchestrated the ambassador’s assassination.

“We must know who directed the killer’s hand. There can be only one response – stepping up the fight against terrorism. The bandits will feel this happening,” Reuters reported.

Original story:

The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot and killed Monday by a suspected Islamist gunman at an Ankara art gallery.

Andrei Karlov was speaking at an exhibition in Ankara when he was gunned down by an assailant. The gunman allegedly spoke Turkish and shouted "Allahu akbar," or "God is great" in Arabic, before opening fire on the diplomat, according to AP.

The attacker also reportedly yelled "Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria! As long as our brothers are not safe, you will not enjoy safety," according to Turkish daily Hurriyet's English-language website.

"Whoever has a share in this oppression will pay for it one-by-one," the gunman added.

Social media sites shared photos and video footage from the attack as users attempted to identify the gunman, who has reportedly since been "neutralized" by security forces. Turkish media reported that the attacker, who wore a black suit and tie, entered the scene using police identification and that at least two other people had been wounded.

The attack occurred one day before major Syria peace talks were set to take place between Russia, Iran and Turkey, all involved in the five-year civil war. Moscow and Iran support Syrian President Bashar Assad, while Turkey backs the opposition, who recently suffered a major defeat in Syria's former commercial capital and largest city, Aleppo. Civilian evacuations of the last remaining rebel-held pockets of the city resumed Monday after a ceasefire was reached between Damascus, the opposition and their respective sponsors.

Moscow and Tehran were instrumental in turning the momentum of the conflict in the Syrian government's favor and, along with Turkey, are expected to be major players in determining the future of the war, which has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives and displaced millions more.

Both sides of the conflict oppose the Islamic State militant group, also known as ISIS, which has claimed attacks in both Russia and Turkey before.

The following video footage is graphic in nature. Please watch it at your own discretion.