Widow and mother of murdered Russian ambassador wail over his coffin as assassinated diplomat’s body returns to Russia with tragic hero’s welcome
THE WIDOW and mother of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov have wept over his coffin as the assassinated diplomat's body returned to his homeland.
The ambassador to Turkey was gunned down in Ankara on Monday as he delivered a speech at an arts centre.
Tragically, his wife Marina was at the scene and witnessed his brutal murder.
And today, as his body was flown back to Russia, she was pictured collapsing onto his coffin while holding flowers during a ceremony.
She could be seen in streams of tears, and appeared inconsolable as was his mother Maria.
After the shooting the ambassador's wife was rushed to hospital, and she is reported to have suffered a "nervous breakdown".
In a statement to the Turkish secret services, she told of the moment her husband was shot down.
"I was lying on the floor along with the others," she said.
"There were many people at the exhibition. All of us were shocked with what had happened.
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"I recovered only when we were already on the way to the hospital. I think my husband was already dead by then. He shot at him 11 times.
"We did not have any security guards at all.
"Only an interpreter accompanied us from time to time. When we came to the hospital, the mayor of Ankara came too, and people from Health Ministry.
"They talked together for a long time and later they said that my husband was dead. I was shocked. I immediately felt unwell.
"My husband did not do anything wrong, nobody even put any threats against him, I would have known.
"Well, many knew that we were going to attend that photo exhibition, this event was planned beforehand."
The gunman responsible for killing Mr Karlov was a 22-year-old member of Ankara’s riot police, it has emerged.
Identified by Turkish media as Mevlut Mert Altintas, he murdered Karlov while the Russian was giving a speech at an art gallery opening in Ankara.
Originally from the town of Soke in western Turkey near the Aegean Sea coastline, he had been in active service since 2014 after graduating from Izmir Police School.
It was reported he entered the art gallery using his police ID, telling security "I am protecting the Russian ambassador," though this could not be verified.
He appeared to be motivated by Russia's role in the bombing of Aleppo.
Footage taken after he gunned down Karlov showed him chanting: "Do not forget Aleppo! Do not forget Syria!"
He also shouted "Allahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great" and continued in Arabic: "We are the descendants of those who supported the Prophet Muhammad, for jihad."
Witnesses said he allowed others in the room to leave, explaining he was not trying to harm them and that he was "ready to die".