Russia's ambassador to Turkey was shot dead in front of a crowd at a posh art gallery in the capital Ankara as the angry gunman screamed: "Don't forget Aleppo".
Police later killed the assailant on Monday night, Turkish station NTV reported.
Andrey Karlov, 62, was several minutes into a speech at an embassy-sponsored photo exhibition when a man who stood directly behind him in a dark suit shot the diplomat in the back from close range multiple times.
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova made the announcement of Karlov's death in a live televised statement.
The assailant referred to the situation in Aleppo after he shot the ambassador in the back.
"Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria," the attacker said in Turkish, after gunning down the ambassador, as seen in a video shared by Turkish media from the scene. Whoever took part in this cruelty will pay the price, one by one ... Only death will take me from here," the man said while holding a pistol.
He then continued in Arabic, saying: "We are the descendants of those who supported the Prophet Muhammad, for jihad."
Diego Cupolo, a photojournalist in Ankara, told Al Jazeera there were about 100 armed soldiers in camouflage and police officers at the scene, along with armoured fighting vehicles. The attack came a day before a meeting of Russian, Turkish and Iranian foreign and defence ministers in Moscow to discuss Syria. Ankara focuses on Gulen links in Karlov assassination.
