A fearless photographer has told how he “got in closer” to capture the moment an off-duty policeman assassinated Russia’s ambassador to Turkey at an Ankara art gallery.

The resulting photographs have won Associated Press photo-journalist Burhan Ozbilici the prestigious World Press Photo award.

The Turkish journalist was covering an art exhibition in December last year when off-duty police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas first stood behind, and then shot and killed, Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov.

Mevlut Mert Altintas shot Andrei Karlov, Russia’s ambassador, at the Ankara gallery. Photo: AP/Burhan Ozbilici

Despite the chaos and danger around him, Ozbilici said he felt it was his responsibility to stay and capture the news.

“When the gunman shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ I was really scared because I wasn’t sure if there were others with him who would go on to shoot innocent people, as had happened in so many places before,” he said in a statement published by World Press Photo.

“As he moved a little bit away, I got in closer to get in a better position to photograph him.”

Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, speaks at an art gallery before being shot by Mevlut Mert Altintas. Photo: AP/Burhan Ozbilici

A reporter of 28 years with AP, he said he recognised the gravity of the situation as it played out.

“I remember thinking: ‘I might be killed or injured, but the Russian ambassador has been shot. This is very big news, so as a journalist it is my responsibility to stand and do my work,'” Ozbilici said.

Awards were also handed out in categories including Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Sports, Nature, News and People.

Australian photographer Daniel Berehulak took out the general news stories prize for his work in Manilla, Philippines, covering President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, which was published in the New York Times.

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Reuters photographer Jonathan Bachman took out the best single contemporary issues photo for his shot depicting an activist facing up to riot police. Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Reuters/World Press Photo

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Francis Perez’s nature award-winning photo shows shows a sea turtle entangled in a fishing net swims off the coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Photo: Francis Perez

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Australian photographer Daniel Berehulak took out the general news stories prize for this image showing six-year-old Jimji crying before workers move the body of her father in Manila, Philippines. Photo: Daniel Berehulak