ANKARA, December 20. /TASS/. Turkey is holding a ceremony at Ankara airport to bid farewell to assassinated Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov. The ceremony is being broadcast by Turkey’s Dogan news agency.

The ceremony with the participation of the Turkish guard of honor is being attended by the murdered diplomat’s relatives, employees of the Russian embassy, Turkish Vice-Premier Tugrul Turkes, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek, Foreign Ministry representatives and the heads of foreign embassies.

The Russian diplomat was assassinated on Monday evening in Ankara during his speech at the opening of a photo exhibition: "Russia from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka as Viewed by a Traveler."

As the Turkish authorities reported, the assassin was immediately killed by local security forces. The gunman also wounded three people. The Russian Foreign Ministry characterized the assassination as an international terrorist act.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under part 3, article 361 of the Russian Criminal Code ("An Act of International Terrorism Entailing an Individual’s Death").