Putin to Pay Respects to Slain Karlov, Annual Conference Rescheduled for Dec. 23

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay respects to assassinated Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov on Thursday, moving back his annual news conference by a day, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Karlov was shot and killed at an art gallery exhibition opening in Ankara on Monday. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it considered the attack a terrorist act.  

"Due to the fact that the last respects and the funeral of the murdered Russian Ambassador Andrey Karlov will be held on Thursday, the President decided to hold a large annual press conference [on Friday, December 23]," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.