Karlov was ambassador to Turkey during a tumultuous period between the two countries . Russia and Turkey experienced worst diplomatic crisis in recent years following the shooting down of a Russian jet in November 2015 , after Turkey claimed it had violated its airspace . Russia – Turkey relations were severely strained after the incident , with Russia posing economic sanctions and travel restrictions for its citizens . Karlov blamed Turkey for the crisis , and it was not until June 2016 that diplomatic relations were normalized . During an interview two months after the incident , Karlov also claimed there was no evidence that Russian warplanes were bombing civilians in Syria
shooting down of a Russian jet
2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
Andrei Karlov