Six people detained after Russian ambassador killed in Turkey

Six people have been detained in Turkey in connection with the killing of the Russian ambassador to the country, state media has reported.

Andrey Karlov was killed by off-duty policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas, who shouted "don't forget Aleppo" after shooting him.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said Altintas' mother, father, sister and two other relatives had been held in the western province of Aydin.

Police also detained his flatmate in Ankara.

Altintas, 22, had been working for the riot police squad in Ankara for the past two-and-a-half years.

Mr Karlov, 62, had been attending an art exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Centre in the Cankaya area of Ankara, along with other dignitaries and media.

Later today, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers will meet to discuss the situation in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "We are sure that those who staged that barbaric crime were seeking to derail the process of normalising Russia-Turkey ties primarily with a goal to prevent an efficient fight against terrorism in Syria.

"This attempt is futile."

US Secretary of State John Kerry called the assassination a "despicable attack", while President-elect Donald Trump said it was a "violation of all rules of civilised order" and must be "universally condemned".

The UN Security Council condemned the assassination of Mr Karlov "in the strongest terms" and called for the perpetrators, organisers and sponsors to be brought to justice.

It is understood that Altintas entered the building using his police ID and opened fire on the ambassador as he made a speech.

A video showed him shouting: "Don't forget Aleppo, don't forget Syria!

"So long as our brothers are not in safety, you will not taste safety either. Only my dead body will leave here.

"Whoever is involved in this cruelty, one by one, you will pay for it."

The gunman also shot three other people, although none were seriously injured, according to Turkey's interior ministry.

He then climbed to the second floor of the building before a 15-minute shootout with police, during which he was killed.