'I feel no security concerns,' says Russian envoy to Turkey who replaced murdered Karlov

Alexey Yerkhov, the new Russian ambassador to Ankara who replaced his murdered predecessor Andrey Karlov, has said he feels no security concerns in the country. 

"Additional measures have been taken. You may be sure that very serious measures are already in place. Using this opportunity, I want to express our gratitude to the relevant Turkish authorities. I have no concerns at all," Yerkhov told a group of journalists in Ankara on Aug. 8, in his first meeting with the Turkish media. 

"On the other hand, becoming a person who is constantly guarded from ordinary citizens gives me different feelings. I am almost surrounded," he said. 

Yerkhov was appointed to Ankara after Karlov was shot dead by a gunman late in 2016.

Erkhov did not comment on the details of the ongoing probe into the killing of his predecessor and refrained from replying to questions on whether Moscow shares Ankara's belief that the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ) was responsible for the murder.  

"We know that the investigation launched by the Turkish side is continuing. We also know that the institutions conducting the probe in Russia are in intense contact with their Turkish counterparts. We are sure that the results of this probe will be shared with the public when it is concluded," he said. 

'Karlov's name will be immortalized'

Yerkhov also said that together with the Turkish side they were considering steps to "immortalize the memory" of Karlov. 

"We are grateful for the decisions and steps taken by the relevant Turkish authorities to immortalize the memory of our late ambassador. We are carrying out serious work on it," he said. 

"As you know, there is a very sad side to my appointment...