Moscow, December 21, 2016
Photo: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38379737
The funeral for Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, shot dead on Monday, will be served on Thursday by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral, reports RIA-Novosti.
Karlov was fatally shot nine times by Mevlut Mert Altintas, 22, a member of the Ankara riot police, as he delivered a speech on Monday. It is as yet unknown whether the shooter had ties to any militant groups, but the motivation seems to have been retaliation for Russian involvement in Aleppo. Altintas was later shot dead in a fight with Turkish police.
Photo: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38379737
The ambassador’s body was returned Tuesday afternoon to Moscow in a coffin draped with the Russian flag, accompanied to the plane by an honor guard of six Turkish soldiers, reports BBC. A short service was celebrated by a Russian priest before his body was returned to Russia for the final time.
In a letter to Sergei Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Patriarch Kirill wrote: “The sad news of the tragic death of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Turkey Andrei Gennadievich Karlov at the hands of a terrorist has echoed in my heart with deep pain. The Lord destined me to personally know the deceased. I attest that Andrei Gennadievich, fulfilling his high diplomatic service, strove to act in accordance with his patriotic and religious convictions.”
Photo: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38379737
A communique on the site of the Ecumenical Patriarchate also offers condolences: “The Ecumenical Patriarchate expresses its abhorrence and condemns this sacrilegious and inhumane act against the life of a good man and worthy diplomat, who only worked for peace. Moreover, it expresses its condolences to the family of Ambassador Karlov, his coworkers and colleagues, as well as the church and political leadership of the Russian Federation, along with the pious Russian people as a whole for this great loss.”
Russia and Turkey have agreed that the assassination was a “provocation” aimed at disrupting cooperation between the two nations in working towards peace in Syria. Moscow has also demanded an apology from Turkey and imposed serious sanctions, including a freeze on charter flights by Russian tourists.
Thirteen people have been arrested thus far, suspected of being linked to the murder, including the shooter’s father, mother, sister and other relatives, reports TASS.
Patriarch Kirill also recalled Karlov’s great help in building up the Orthodox Church in North Korea, where he served as ambassador from 2001 to 2006. In closing he writes: “I am offering up prayers to the Merciful God for the repose of the newly-departed in the place of the righteous where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing.”
