Erdogan: Turkey Not to Allow Anyone to Spoil Relations With Russia

The Turkish president said no one will be able to harm Ankara's relations with Moscow.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — Turkey will not allow anyone to spoil relations with Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday at the ceremony to unveil the Eurasia Tunnel in Istanbul.

"Russia's representative, for whom we were responsible, was attacked yesterday," Erdogan said. "We will not allow to spoil our relations with Russia," he said.

Erdogan expressed condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people.

Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was shot by a gunman at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara late on Monday. Doctors announced the ambassador's death 40 minutes after his hospitalization. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it considers the attack a terrorist act.