Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was shot Monday at an art exhibition in Ankara, Turkey's official Anadolu news agency reported.
In the old days, something like that could result in a punitive expedition or war in retaliation.
But thank God John Kerry reassured us that 19th century international relations are obsolete in the 21st century.
UPDATE: The Russian ambassador died of his wounds.
UPDATE: Why this is potentially a problem:
[Russia and Turkey] have had many historical encounters, and they measure each new encounter against the old. Distrust is the normal and reasonable condition between these two countries, and we have now merely moved back to a more traditional pattern.
More on relations between these two countries from right after the Turkish shoot-down of a Russian plane operating over Syria (via Real Clear World).
Turkey is a NATO member despite its creeping Islamism (sped up after that coup), and even though Turkey was less than helpful to America in Iraq, we can hardly let the NATO brand be cheapened by turning our back on Turkey.
And add in more on Turkish-Iranian relations in light of the Russian-Iranian alliance in Syria. Iran, long fearful of Russia, at least no longer has a border with Moscow's realms since the collapse of the USSR.
Although I'll dispute the notion that Iran is now a nation-state evolved from the Persian Empire. Iran is still a very shrunken empire of Persians controlling subject people once representative of more expansive borders.
UPDATE: Via Instapundit, the killer was a Turkish police officer and he yelled God is Great.
The killer was shot dead. Which the Russians in their paranoia might find convenient for Turkey.
UPDATE: This is good:
Turkey's foreign minister on Monday said common sense was prevailing in both Russia and Turkey following the assassination of Moscow's ambassador in Ankara, and the two countries would work together to investigate.
We didn't need another crisis.
UPDATE: Oh good Lord, we're in Alice in Wonderland territory:
John Kerry's spokesman says the U.S. Secretary of State has raised concerns about "some of the rhetoric coming out of Turkey with respect to American involvement or support, tacit or otherwise, for this unspeakable assassination yesterday because of the presence of Mr. Gulen here in the United States."
America is Turkey's NATO ally and Russia has been at war on and off with Turkey for longer than America has been a country, yet the Islamist-friendly Erdogan government is blaming an Islamist attack by a Turkish police officer on the top Russian diplomat in Turkey on America??
Perhaps Turkey is the exception that proves the rule of all that good will and respect our president said his tenure built abroad.
UPDATE: In the short run, Turkey is pushed closer to Russia in the face of jihadi thought that threatens both.
But does Turkey want to go along on the anti-Sunni ride at the side of the Russian-Iranian-Assad pro-Shia ride when Sunnis are 80% of the Moslem world?
Does Russia want to do that, which limits their appeal in the Middle East?
I suppose an anti-Kurdish alliance could bring Turkey, Iran, and Iraq together (scroll down to The Triad), but is Russia ready to stand by that fight?
And how long can long-standing Turkish-Syrian, Turkish-Russian, and Iran-Iraq tensions be suppressed in this alliance?
And America gets pushed to the side with this focus, given our backing of Kurds in Iraq and Syria.
