Russia names Alexei Yerkhov as new ambassador to Turkey

MOSCOW

Russia has appointed Alexei Yerkhov as Moscow’s new ambassador to Turkey, under a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on June 19, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.      

Yerkhov, previously the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Management Center, replaces Andrey Karlov, who was assassinated at an art exhibition in the Turkish capital Ankara on Dec. 19, 2016.  
    
Karlov was delivering a speech at the opening of an art gallery when an armed assailant shot him several times.     
Turkish-Russian relations were tested after Karlov’s assassination, but Russian President Putin described the shooting as a “provocation” designed to undermine bilateral ties.