The assassination took place after a long period of highly polarized and incited political atmosphere in Turkey,[9][10] and after several days of protests by Turks against Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War and in particular the battle over Aleppo.[11] Russian and Turkish officials held talks on brokering a ceasefire in Syria during the evacuation of Aleppo.[12] Russia, Turkey and Iran planned to meet to negotiate a settlement over the Syrian Civil War.[13][14]