Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated on Sunday that Ankara is determined to continue fruitful cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and common interests with Moscow.
The Turkish foreign minister’s statement came during an interview with Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency on the 5th anniversary of the death of Andrey Karlov, Russia’s former ambassador in Turkey, who was killed during an art exhibit in Ankara by an off-duty police officer linked to FETO, the group behind the defeated coup attempt of 2016 in Turkey.
The killer, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was shot dead on the scene during a standoff following the murder.
Cavusoglu described Karlov as an experienced diplomat who played a significant role in enhancing Turkish-Russian relations during a difficult period, further adding that the loss had deeply saddened both peoples.
Cavusoglu stated that the attack was an attempt to negatively affect the friendship between Turkey and Russia, but they did not fall into the trap and those responsible were disappointed.
Saying that terrorism does not take into account race, religion, language or position, Cavusoglu expressed that Turkey, which has lost many diplomats and ambassadors to terrorism, understands Russia’s pain.
The foreign minister ended his statements by mentioning the growing cooperation between Ankara and Moscow, expressing that high-level contacts continue intensively and that both sides possess a strong common will for the development of bilateral relations.
