Vladimir Putin consoles wife of assassinated Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov at hero’s memorial after he was shot dead in front of her
Putin led mourners as Russia staged a hero's funeral for diplomat Andrei Karlov, who was gunned down by a renegade cop shouting 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Don't forget Aleppo'
VLADIMIR Putin led mourners today as Russia staged a hero's funeral for the ambassador to Turkey who was gunned down by a renegade cop shouting "Allahu Akbar" and "Don't forget Aleppo".
The Russian president consoled Andrei Karlov's tearful widow Marina at a memorial ceremony in Moscow.
Diplomats and family members gathered at the Russian Foreign Ministry to bid farewell to Karlov, 62, who was assassinated at an art exhibition in Ankara on Monday.
TV footage showed Karlov's body lying in an open coffin in the building's marble-clad lobby flanked by a uniformed honour guard as mourners including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov approached to lay flowers.
Putin also paid his respects, briefly sitting beside the coffin and speaking to Karlov's widow, who wore a black veil.
The president promised retribution, saying: "We must know who directed the killer's hand."
Putin, who has said he knew Karlov personally, awarded Karlov the Hero of Russia award, the country's highest military medal.
His name was etched into a slab of pink marble on the wall of the Foreign Ministry along with the names of other diplomats killed on duty.
Lavrov praised the deceased envoy and paid his respects to his mother Maria, widow Marina and son Gennady, also a diplomat, as the ambassador's body lay in state in a flower-decked coffin.
He said: "We are saying goodbye to our friend Andrei Karlov who became a victim of a malicious, vile terrorist attack while in the line of duty.
"We will never forget Andrei."
After the ceremony Karlov's body was taken to Moscow's gold-domed Christ the Saviour Cathedral for a funeral led by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill.
Andrei Karlov was a Soviet-trained diplomat who worked in North and South Korea in the 1990s and 2000s. He had been ambassador to Turkey since 2013.
His assassin has been identified as Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, who had worked for Ankara's riot police.
He reportedly let himself into the art gallery by flashing his police pass, and claimed he was assigned to protect the ambassador before the attack.
TV footage and pictures from the event showed him loitering behind Karlov as he gave a speech, and psyching himself before suddenly drawing his pistol and shooting the envoy in the back.
Altinas was killed in a 15-minute shootout with cops.
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Russia and Turkey have branded the assassination a failed attempt to derail a rapprochement between Moscow and Ankara, which have backed different sides in the conflict in Syria.
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has blamed the killing on the network of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was also blamed for the failed coup in July.
Gulenm who is exiled in the US, denied any involvement today.
The Kremlin has said it is too early to say who was behind the murder and has sent a team of investigators to Turkey to help with the investigation.
Mr Karlov was nine times at a photographic exhibition called “Russia as seen by Turks”.
After the killing Altintas aimed his gun at reporters and continued his rant.
When the room was evacuated he was said to have pumped more bullets into his victim’s body.
He fled to a room above where he died in a hail of at least 11 police rounds.
Associated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici said: “The event was routine and when a man on stage pulled out a gun I thought it was a theatrical flourish.
“It was anything but. Moments later the Russian ambassador was sprawled on the floor and the attacker was waving his gun at the rest of us, shouting slogans.
“He shot the ambassador at least once more at close range and smashed some of the framed photos on the wall. In all there were at least eight shots. Guests ran for cover, hiding behind columns and under tables. I composed myself enough to shoot pictures.”
Mr Karlov’s assassination came on the day the UN Security Council unanimously called for all parties to observe the evacuation of the last rebel-held enclave in the city.
It was also just over a year since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on its border with Syria.
Turkey has itself been rocked by recent terror attacks.
On Saturday a car bomb near a bus in Kayserion killed 13 soldiers and wounding 55.
A week ago 44 people including 37 police officers were killed in bombings in Istanbul.
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