Belarusian FM: Diplomat attack had no political motive

MINSK, Belarus

The Belarusian foreign minister said Thursday that the attack which wounded the country's diplomat in Ankara was not politically motivated.

"The issue does not have a political background. The incident occurred after a fight," Vladimir Makey said, referring to Wednesday's attack.

He said the diplomat's surgery at the hospital was successful and thanked Turkish officials for their prompt help.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had also said on Wednesday that the attack was not politically motivated.

Alexander Poganshev, the head of administrative affairs at the Belarusian Embassy, was shot by a neighbor as a result of a personal dispute, Cavusoglu added.

The neighbor, who was a retired military officer, committed suicide at the scene after the shooting.

* Writing by Fatih Hafiz Mehmet