World condemns assassination of Russian envoy to Turkey

ANKARA 

Leaders from around the world condemned the assassination of Russian Ambassador in Ankara Andrey Karlov.

The Russian ambassador was shot multiple times at an art exhibition in Ankara late Monday.

'Heinous act' 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted: “I condemn the killing of Russia’s amb to Turkey. My condolences to his family & Russian people. No justification for such a heinous act."

In Washington, the State Department, Pentagon and White House all condemned the attack, "whatever its source", and offered U.S. assistance in the investigation.

"This heinous attack on a member of the diplomatic corps is unacceptable, and we stand united with Russia and Turkey in our determination to confront terrorism in all of its forms,” the White House said in a statement.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Karlov "was assassinated by a radical Islamic terrorist" and offered his condolences. 

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

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "appalled by this senseless act of terror and emphasizes that there can be no justification for the targeting of diplomatic personnel and civilians."

The Security Council also condemned the attack in a separate statement.

American Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power and Ambassador to Ankara John Bass also condemned the attack.

In Britain, Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and the envoy to Ankara, Richard Moore, took to Twitter to denounce the killing and said their “thoughts are with his family."

Germany's Ankara embassy tweeted: "We strongly condemn the assassination of Russia’s Ambassador to Turkey in Ankara. Our thoughts are with his family+friends."

'Solidarity with Russia & Turkey'

“Pakistan condemns killing of Russian Amb in terrorist attack. We condole with bereaved family & express solidarity with Russia & Turkey,” posted on Twitter, Mohammed Nafees Zakaria, spokesman for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the attack in a call to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi conveyed the country's condolences to Karlov's family and to the Russian government. Qassemi said in a written statement the "criminal" act showed the radical groups, which have no ties with international law, engaged in such "barbarous" activities with the aim of creating problems between countries and destabilizing the region.

Qatar, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and Iran also condemned the murder.

'Strengthen Russia and Turkey's determination' against terror

"We unconditionally and resolutely condemn this bloody terrorist attack,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in a condolence message to Russian President Vladimir Putin -- a message that echoed a statement from the country’s Foreign Ministry. "We believe the terror attack perpetrated against Karlov will increasingly strengthen Russia's and Turkey's determination on counterterrorism, cooperation and partnership efforts," it added.

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry offered condolences to Karlov's family and Russia.

"This terror act directed against a representative of a sovereign country was designed to disrupt and frighten the bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia," it said.

Kyrgyzstan's president Almazbek Atambayev "strongly" condemned the attack that was perpetrated against an "official representative" of a country.

"I have learned with deep sorrow the death of the ambassador as a result of a treacherous and inhumane armed attack," Atambayev said in his condolence message to Putin. 

"The Embassy of Israel in Turkey is shocked and saddened by the horrible assassination of a colleague, ambassador Andrey Karlov," Israel’s embassy in Ankara said as it conveyed its condolences to Karlov's family and the Russian people.

The president of Kosovo Hashim Thaci denounced the murder via Twitter and Foreign Minister Enver Hodja expressed condolences on behalf of the people of Kosovo.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic sent a telegram to Russian officials.

"Serbia is horrified by this criminal act and is also feeling the pain and sorrow of Russian people. This incident shows us once more that we need to confront terrorism [...] unscrupulously," Vucic said.

"We sympathize in the pain of the family of the assassinated ambassador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all of Russia," Dacic said in a separate telegram to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the attack in a written statement from the Secretary General, Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, calling it "heinous assassination."

"Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen expressed his shock over the senseless act of terror and offered his deepest condolences to the family of Ambassador Karlov and to the Government of Russia," the statement read.

The statement pointed that the serious threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism to international peace and security could be eliminated with international solidarity.

Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on its website: "Morocco condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of Russian ambassador in Ankara." 

The ministry added that "Morocco also expresses, in these difficult circumstances, its full solidarity and all its support for the Republic of Turkey."

Prime Minister of UK, Theresa May, said on Twitter: "The vivid images from Berlin & Ankara have shocked us all. Our condolences are with all those who mourn and all who have been affected."