MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. The moment of the murder of Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov was not chosen accidentally, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the Mir TV Channel on Wednesday.

"Of course, those who stand behind these killers did not choose the moment accidentally," the presidential spokesman said.

According to Peskov, judging by all appearances, this provocation "was prepared and carried out in a completely barbaric way."

"This is an unprecedented case in the entire history of our bilateral relations. This is the case, which has been unanimously condemned in the world and actually all the states have come up with very tough statements and in support of our country, denouncing this barbaric act," the Kremlin spokesman said.

According to Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin called this crime an act aimed at disrupting the normalization of Russian-Turkish relations and at undermining the efforts of Russia and Turkey to come closer to each other on the issue of settling the Syrian conflict politically.

"As you know, Moscow and Ankara are interacting closely through their defense ministries and the General Staffs in the very sensitive sphere of bringing militants out of eastern Aleppo. A series of tense negotiations has produced the result. Now the withdrawal of militants is actually nearing completion and eastern Aleppo has been de facto liberated. This has very important military and strategic significance and at the same time is symbolic," the Kremlin spokesman said.