31 Turkish diplomats killed by Armenian groups from 1973-86

Armenian terrorist organizations killed 31 Turkish diplomats across the world between 1973 and 1986, a study by a former Turkish ambassador said. 

According to the "Armenian Terror" study by Omer Engin Lutem, the killings occurred in the U.S., Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Iran, and the U.K. 

The study said that the assimilation of Armenians who migrated to other countries posed a threat to Armenian churches and political parties, which then decided to revive extremist national emotions to prevent assimilation and to protect their identity.

The first killing of a diplomat and his deputy came on Jan. 27, 1973 when Gurgen Yanikyan, an Armenian, killed Turkey's consul general in Los Angeles Mehmet Baydar and his aide Bahadir Demir.

Coverage of this incident in the U.S. media encouraged the diaspora to kill other Turkish diplomats in order to create propaganda and promote their ideas among Armenians across the world.

Victims of terror

A total of three diplomats were killed between 1973 and 1978, following which Turkish public servants abroad became targets for Armenian terrorist organizations like ASALA and Justice Commandoes for Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian terrorist acts intensified from 1980 to 1983, in which 580 out of the 699 terror acts happened. The terrorist attacks ended in 1986. 

Here is a list of Turkish diplomats and public servants who were killed by Armenian terror acts:  

DatePlace PositionName                  
Jan. 27, 1973Santa BarbaraConsul GeneralMehmet Baydar
Jan. 27, 1973Santa BarbaraConsulBahadir Demir
Oct. 22, 1975ViennaAmbassadorDanis Tunaligil
Oct. 24, 1975ParisAmbassadorİsmail Erez
Oct. 24, 1975ParisDriverTalip Yener
Jan. 16, 1976BeirutHead ClerkOktar Cirit
June 9, 1977VaticanAmbassadorTaha Carim
June 2, 1978MadridAmbassador's WifeNecla Kuneralp
June 2, 1978MadridRetired Ambassador Besir Balcioglu
Oct. 12, 1979The Hague Ambassador's Son Ahmet Benler
Dec. 22, 1979ParisTourism CounselorYilmaz Colpan
July 31, 1980Athens Administrative Attache Galip Ozmen
July 31, 1980Athens Attache's DaughterNeslihan Ozmen
Dec.17, 1980SydneyConsul GeneralSarik Ariyak
Dec.17, 1980SydneySecurity AttacheEngin Sever
April 4,1981ParisWorking AttacheResat Morali
March 4, 1981ParisReligious OfficerTecelli Ari
June 09, 1981Geneva Contracted Secretary M. Savas Yerguz
Sep. 24, 1981ParisSecurity Attache Cemal Ozen
Jan. 28, 1982Los AngelesConsul GeneralKemal Arikan
May 04, 1982BostonHonorary Consul GeneralOrhan Gunduz
June 07, 1982LizbonAdministrative AttacheErkut Akbay
June 07, 1982LizbonAdministrative Attache's WifeNadide Akbay
Aug. 27, 1982OttawaMilitary Attache Colonel Attila Altikat
Sep. 9, 1982BurgasAdministrative AttacheBora Suelkan
March 9, 1983Belgrade AmbassadorGalip Balkar
July 14, 1983Brussels Administrative Attache Dursun Aksoy
July 27, 1983LizbonUndersecretary's Wife Cahide Mihcioglu
April 28, 1984TehranContracted Secretary's WifeIsik Yonder
June 20, 1984ViennaWorking AttacheErdogan Ozen
Nov. 19, 1984ViennaInternational Servant Enver Ergun

Anadolu Agency