MGIMO commemorates Andrey Karlov

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs's Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) is hosting the international conference 'Russia-Turkey. Looking ahead', devoted to Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, according to the organizers - the Andrei Karlov Foundation and MGIMO.

The conference is attended by chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev, head of Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation Eleonora Mitrofanova, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to the Russian Federation Hüseyin Diriöz, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Secretary General of the Russian-Turkish Public Forum Ender Arat, President of the Association of Russian and Turkish entrepreneurs (RTIB) Naki Karaaslan, as well as representatives of academic and business circles of Russia and Turkey.

An expert session titled 'Role and place of Russia and Turkey in the modern world: interests, problems, prospects' was also organized at MGIMO, as well as a photo exhibition dedicated to Andrei Karlov. 

On December 19, 2016, Andrei Karlov was killed by Turkish off-duty police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara.

As the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza reports, the president of the Andrey Karlov Foundation, Marina Karlova, stressed that all those who came today to pay tribute to her husband's memory was dear to her. She explained that the exhibition is a collection of photographs of Andrei Karlov. "We lived with him for 41 years, and it was the happiest time of my life," Marina Karlova stressed.

Rector of Ankara University Prof. Dr. Erkan Ibis admitted that it was difficult for him to find words to tell. "The ambassador will remain in our memory as a very modest person, who was at the same time a top-level professional who has done a lot for the development of our diplomatic ties. His assassination was a vile blow in our back, a shot at relations between Turkey and Russia, our countries, and the fragile dialogue that has started to be established," he recalled.

The rector of the TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Dr. Adem Sahin said that in the person of the deceased ambassador Russia lost a professional diplomat, and Turkey lost a great friend. "Andrei Gennadievich worked in Turkey in a very difficult period of relations between our two countries, and his openness was always an example for us. His assassination was a very big blow for ordinary people in Turkey, we took his death with the same pain, as well as in Russia," Adem Sahin said.

Rector of the Bosphorus University Professor Mehmed Ozkan also noted that the death of Andrei Karlov was as great loss for the Turkish people as it was for the Russian people. "There is no justification for killing a person, but what happened to Andrei Gennadievich, a diplomat who defended his country, strengthened ties between Russia and Turkey, was doubly mean," he said.

The rector of İnönü University Ahmet Kizilay also addressed the ceremony. "Today we are here to remember the great man, the great diplomat and the son of Russia. Today we remember him as a hero who gave his life for Russia. It is very important that the presidents of the two countries, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately after this tragic event gave their assessment of what happened and said that the blow was caused by Russian-Turkish relations, that external forces are trying to frustrate our contacts, but there will be no steps back and the two countries will move forward and continue to develop their relationship. It was very important," he noted.