Russia's State Duma's Foreign Affairs Committee approved Thursday the candidacy of Alexei Yerkhov as ambassador to Turkey, according to TASS news agency.
Yerkhov, Russian Foreign Ministry's Crisis Situation Center Director, will replace Andrey Karlov, who died after being shot multiple times at an art exhibition in Turkish capital Ankara on Dec. 19.
Karlov was delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of an art gallery when an armed assailant opened fire on him and then in the air.
Turkey-Russia relations were tested after Karlov's assassination. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the shooting a "provocation" designed to undermine bilateral ties.
