Hezbollah Raps Assassination of Russian Envoy in Turkey
In a statement on Tuesday, Hezbollah slammed the act of terrorism as an appalling crime, al-Alam news network reported.
It added, though, that the assassination will only lead to enhanced cooperation between Russia and its allies on the path toward uprooting terrorism.
Hezbollah also expressed sympathy with Russia’s officials and the family of the ambassador.
Andrey Karlov was shot dead while delivering a speech on the opening of a photo exhibition dubbed "Russia in the eyes of Turks”.
The assassin has been identified as 22-year-old Mevlut Mert Altintas, who had served with the Turkish anti-riot police for around three years. Altintas was "neutralized” by Turkish police after killing the envoy.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said both he and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agree that the assassination of Karlov was an act of provocation by those seeking to ruin relations between both countries.
"We know that this is a provocation aimed at destroying the process of normalization in relations between Turkey and Russia,” said Erdogan during a televised broadcast after a phone conversation with Putin.
Erdogan added that relations between Turkey and Russia were very important for the region and that those who aimed to harm these ties would never succeed.
