The assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday was an attempt to damage relations between the two countries as well as preventing a resumption of harmonious relations between Washington and Moscow, according to E. Michael Jones, a political analyst in Indiana.
“What we’re seeing with the assassination of the Russian ambassador is an attempt to disrupt, first of all, relations between Russia and Turkey; but I think the bigger picture here is to disrupt the possibility of a peaceful rapprochement between Russia and the United States,” said Jones, a writer, former professor, media commentator and the current editor of the Culture Wars magazine.
“At every moment where it looks as if there’s going to be international cooperation, we have this type of terrorist attack to disrupt the normal relationships,” Jones told Press TV on Tuesday.
Jones, however, predicted that the assassination will not succeed in achieving such an objective because world leaders have gained a good understanding about the dynamics of terrorist attacks and what they try to accomplish.
US President-elect Donald Trump condemned the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey on Monday, describing the killing as "violation of all rules of civilized order."
In a statement issued by his transition team, Trump also offered condolences to the family of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov, who was fatally shot while attending an event at an art gallery in Ankara.
The assailant was identified as Mevlut Mert Altintas, a 22-year-old off-duty policeman with Ankara's riot police squad. He was later killed in a shootout with police.
After carrying out the murder, which was caught on camera, the assailant went on a rant, shouting in Turkish, “Don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria!”
The assassination was condemned by the Turkish and Russian leaders as an attempt to sour the bilateral ties. It came as the countries are maintaining cooperation over the Syrian crisis.
Turkey is partaking in talks on behalf of anti-Damascus militants, who had been holding Aleppo until recently. Russia has been supporting the Syrian government and has been negotiating on its behalf.
Iran, the US, NATO, and other countries and world institutions have also condemned the assassination of the Russian ambassador.