Iran Strongly Slams Murder of Russian Ambassador in Turkey

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi on Monday strongly condemned assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey describing it as an “act of evil.”

Andrey Karlov, 62, was gunned down by a Turkish police officer while the former was making a speech at the opening ceremony of an art gallery in the Turkish capital. The attacker was later shot dead by the police, media reports said.

Extending sympathy to the people and government of Russia as well as Karlov’s family, Qasemi said the criminal act has indicated that terrorists linked to the extremist and Takfiri groups are not bound to any of internationally respected laws, norms or rights.

 He added that terrorists “are committing such brutal acts to cause dispute among countries and create more instability and insecurity in the region.”

Qasemi stressed the only way to cure this vicious and horrible phenomenon of our time “is the unity and solidarity of all nations and governments in a relentless fight against terrorism and extremism without dividing terrorists into the bad and good or without making any discrimination among them and with no use of the double standard policy” in the fight against terrorism.

The spokesman reiterated that Tehran will stand by the people and governments of the regional and world countries until the complete eradication of the vicious phenomenon.

IRNA

R.S