Sri Lanka on Tuesday condemned in the strongest terms the assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, who was shot in the back while giving a speech at an art gallery in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, on Monday evening.

Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that Sri Lanka considered the attack a violation of the right of all diplomats to represent their nations peacefully around the world.

"Shocked by the assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey. Condolences to Ambassador Karlov's family, the government and people of Russia," Samaraweera said on Twitter.

International media reports said the Russian diplomat was assassinated at an Ankara art exhibit on Monday evening by a lone Turkish gunman shouting "God is great!" and "Don't forget Aleppo, Don't forget Syria!" in what the leaders of Turkey and Russia called a provocative terrorist attack.

The gunman, described by Turkish officials as a 22-year-old off-duty police officer, also wounded at least three others in the assault on the envoy.