Russian, Turkish Prime ministers discuss Russian ambassador's murder

"On December 19, 2016, a telephone call between Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim took place at the initiative of Turkey… Medvedev stressed that a murder of an ambassador in a terrorist attack is an extraordinary situation in international relations," the Russian cabinet said in a statement.

Yildirim expressed condolences over the murder, stressing that the ambassador had made a significant contribution to Russian-Turkish relations.

The Turkish prime minister also stated that those behind the attack aimed to undermine the improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries, the government press office added. Medvedev called on Yildirim to find and punish the organizers behind the attack, while the Turkish prime minister said investigations had already begun and promised to personally oversee the case.