Matviyenko describes murder of Russian ambassador to Turkey as pre-meditated provocation aimed to obstruct normalization of bilateral relations
MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) - The murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov was a premeditated provocation against normalization of Russia-Turkey bilateral relations and the two countries' joint efforts in liberation of the Syrian city of Aleppo from terrorists, Russia's Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko said.
"It is obvious that this was a premeditated provocation against normalization of Russian-Turkish relations, against our joint efforts in fighting terrorists, against our joint actions in liberation of Aleppo from terrorists," Matviyenko told a news conference on Tuesday.
The Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on suspicion of an act of international terrorism, Matviyenko went on.
"Sure, we expect that our security agencies will do anything, together with the Turkish special services, to find those behind this foul murder. And bring them to the severest responsibility," she said.
It is too early to draw any conclusions today as to who was behind the crime, she said. "This is a point of honor now: finding and punishing, in the severest way, those guilty of killing our ambassador," she said.
Matviyenko went on to say that everyone is shocked by Karlov's murder. "I knew him well personally. He was a high-grade professional. All leaders in the world have today expressed their condemnation of the foul murder," she said.
"Diplomatic workers, ambassadors are a special category of people in every country. These are the people protected by special international legal acts, conventions. Even more tragic is that terrorists stop at nothing now," Matviyenko said.