Undersecretary of the Belarusian Embassy in Turkey Alexander Poganshev was wounded by two shots in Ankara, Hurriyet reports. The diplomat was seriously injured and has been delivered to hospital.
According to media report, the perpetrator is a Turkish national and a neighbour of the diplomat. The gunman, who is also retired military man, was reportedly mentally-ill and killed himself after the attack.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry later confirmed that Poganshev, a counselor on Administrative issues at the Belarusian embassy in Ankara, was in serious condition after suffering a gunshot wound.
"An employee of the Belarusian embassy was returning home with his child when he was shot by a mentally unbalanced Turkish citizen. He is now in a serious condition and is receiving medical assistance,” Anatoly Glaz, the ministry's spokesperson, told Sputnik.
A source in the Belarusian embassy said that the diplomat received four gunshot wounds in an attack by a mentally-disturbed Turkish citizen while on a walk with his son in Dikmen Park.
"A mentally ill person met our diplomat by chance when he and his son were walking in Dikmen Park. The attacker opened fire on the counselor, four bullets hit him, while his son was unharmed. They ran away from the gunman. The counselor had a surgery at a hospital, he is alive. The attacker returned home and shot himself," the source said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu later said that Poganshev injured in the Turkish capital is in satisfactory condition and may be transferred from an intensive care unit to a general ward on Thursday.
"This night, some retired [serviceman] shot the adviser of the Belarusian embassy from five to six times after which he shot himself. The diplomat was immediately hospitalized and the surgery was highly successful. He is currently in the intensive unit but his condition is satisfactory. Of course, risks are possible during any operation. But according to the data we have received from doctors, he may be transferred to a general ward tomorrow. We hope he will recover," Cavusoglu told reporters in Ankara after visiting the hospital where the injured diplomat was undergoing treatment late on Wednesday.
"The investigation is underway. According to the preliminary data, this crime was carried out as a result of a quarrel. We can see no political motive in it. Our Interior Ministry will subsequently provide its comments on the issue. The most important thing now is to ensure that the diplomat’s condition is fine," Cavusoglu pointed out.
