ANKARA
Senior Turkish officials on Monday condemned the fatal shooting of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.
In a statement, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said officials closely followed the process after the attack on Andrey Karlov and relayed information to their Russian counterparts.
Yildirim said every effort is being made to uncover the “dark circles behind the attack and bringing them to justice".
He said Turkey shared the pain of the Russian nation and conveyed his condolences.
Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman also condemned the attack with a statement.
"I wish that relations between the two countries will not be harmed after the attack which, I think, has been conducted by dark forces," said Kahraman, extending his condolences to Russia and Karlov’s family.
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has also condemned the attack.
"I extend my condolences to Ambassador Andrey Karlov's family, who we have lost after a malicious assassination, and to the friendly Russian nation," Kilicdaroglu tweeted.
Former President Abdullah Gul said the attack targeted not only the envoy but Turkish-Russian friendship.
"The prime target of this attack was not Ambassador Karlov but Turkish-Russian friendship," Gul said on Twitter.
Minister for EU Affairs Omer Celik extended his condolences to Russia via his Twitter account. "We lost a very distinguished diplomat, who worked for improving bilateral relations, by an attack targeted Turkish-Russian relations.
"This is not only Russian people's sorrow but also ours. Turkish and Russian peoples lost a common value," he said.
Celik also wrote that Turkey and Russia were united in a common sense against the attack aimed at fomenting chaos. "Commonsense is the clearest response."
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik, Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek also condemned the attack after visiting the murder scene in Ankara.
Turkey’s presidential spokesman also condemned the attack on his official Twitter account.
“We strongly condemn the assassination of Russian Amb Karlov. Our condolences. This is an open provocation against Turkish-Russian relations,” wrote Ibrahim Kalin.
“They will not be able to succeed,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mustafa Destici, head of Turkey's Grand Unity Party (BBP) said such bloody terrorist attacks would not be a solution for Aleppo or other regions and they “may have more severe consequences”.
The attack was aimed at destroying Turkey's prestige, security and its relations with Russia, he said. "I am deeply saddened by the fact that the Russian Ambassador has lost his life and that such an attack has occurred in our country. I wish to express my condolences to the ambassador's family and the Russian people.
"I hope that this bloody attack will not harm ties between Russia-Turkey and the two nations and common sense will prevail."
Andrey Gennadyevich Karlov died after being shot at an art exhibition in Ankara.
He was delivering a speech at an opening ceremony when an assailant opened fire on the diplomat before shooting into the air, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent who witnessed the incident.
The envoy was seriously wounded and immediately taken to a hospital in the central Cankaya district but was later pronounced dead.
Police special forces neutralized the assailant in an operation that lasted around 15 minutes.
