A.S.A.L.A.

[Guest]

where can I find good information about A.S.A.L.A.????

OKNECEK, shat em xntrum!!!!

Naxorok shnorhakal em!!

[Guest]

Nvard jan shat hodvatsner kan ASALA'i masin / sakayn / himanakanum nerkayatsnum en ASALA'in vorpes miyayn terosristakan kazmakerputyun.

yes verjers statsa mi girg HAyastanits / vernagir@ 1975 - 1995 ASALA Hasastani azatagrutyan Hye Gaxtni Banak / Vasn Hayurtyan vasn Hayreyats / bavakanin hamarot tvyalner kan iyster.

ka nayev Girk vor@ grvats e Monte Melkonyani kormits vstah em Hayastanum shat heshtutyamb kaor es gtnel Hayeren yev anleren lezunerov.

vernagir@ |Irakanutyun ASALA| sa karor es nayev dzer berel Janfedayi web pagi Monte melkonyan found web pagits. kame mial gry irents irenk Yerevanum nuynpes Offic unen vstah em k@patasxanen.

[Guest]

Mersi!!

Shat shnorhakal em!!!

Ñïàñèáî

[Guest]

I came across this article and couldn't resist posting it.

 

June 20, 1999

 

ASALA:

Terrorism as a Political Issue

Christos Iacovou

 

In January 1975, ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia), hitherto an unknown organization, bombed the World Council of Churches (WCC) office in Beirut and since then had placed itself within both the Middle Eastern terrorist complex and the International terrorist system. During the period of time between 1975 and 1982 dozens of Turkish diplomats and a lot of installations of Turkish and Western interests had been the target of Asala’s militant activities.

 

Asala’s activities were actually carried out by a small group of people, but due to their spectacular nature they were very successful in bringing the issue of the Armenian genocide to the forefront of international awareness.The public opinion Asala appealed to was often that of the world at large rather than that of the worldwide Armenian Community.

 

The roots of Asala can be traced in the accumulation of frustration resulted from the international community’s lack of interest in the Armenian genocide committed by the Turks in the course of World war I, and a tendency among western pro-Turkish scholars to deny the genocide as a historical fact. Furthermore, during the mid-1970’s the militant milieu surrounding the civil war in Lebanon inspired and stimulated young Armenians to resort to political terrorism.

 

The pro-Asala Popular Movements started producing their own publications with an increasingly revolutionary and political content. These supporter groups, like the Lebanon-based army itself, included a wide spectrum of political views from nationalists to marxists. Within Asala itself, the nationalists tended to be preoccupied with military actions more or less for their own sake. Others in the Asala leadership, however, felt the need for a coherent political program, which would provide an overall strategy to guide their actions. These found common cause with Popular Movements and also drew strength from their links with other militant groups including PLO.

 

At the end of 1981 Asala published an eight-point political program which it described as “the political line that the Popular Movement for Asala will support.” This was the result of long discussions with leaders of the Popular Movements, with a view to eventually forming a united organization, and was clearly a compromise between the views of the marxists and the nationalists.

 

In this Asala identified its enemies as “Turkish Imperialism” backed by “local reaction” and “international imperialism.” “Revolutionary violence” was the “principal means” to achieve the liberation of Armenian territories. Asala supported those who “reject the authority of the oppressing classes” and will work to “strengthen and expand” coalitions within the “international revolutionary system.” Asala called for transformation of Soviet Armenia into a revolutionary base for “the long people’s war.”

 

In addition to focusing world attention on the Armenian genocide, Asala had given hope to the younger Armenian generation, galvanisingthem into activity either directly or as political supporters of the Armyworking for the defence and release of activists arrested in Europe and the US. The traditional Armenian parties in diaspora like the well known Tashnak were forced to set up guerilla groups of their own, like the Justice Commandos for Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Revolutionary Army, in order to stop their youth from flocking to Asala.

 

The fundamental difference between the Justice Commandos and Asala lies in their political aims, with the former stopping at international recognition of the Armenian genocide. Asala, on the other hand, came to be seen as the basis for a widespread Armenian liberation movement.

 

Everything changed with Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the subsequent expulsion of the PLO and most of Asala from Beirut. Asala’s isolation from its supporter groups and its political allies, who were preoccupied with other matters during this period, had a devastating effect on its activities.

 

After the expulsion from Beirut Asala transfered many of its activities in Syria. With the military wing in control, it formed a working relationship with the anti-PLO Palestinian radical Abu Nidal. This would explain the dramatic cooling in PLO-Asala relations at the end of 1982. Indeed, the PLO was said to have begun working against Asala, and when Fatah leader Abu-Iyad (Salah Khalaf) visited France in December 1982 he gave the French security servises details of Asala activists, including photographs.

 

Discovery of the Abu-Nidal connection was another factor in the total disillusion of the Armenian organizations with Asala in the wake of Beirut. In April, 1983 the Armenian National Movement (France) joined the Popular Movements in the UK and the USA to form a new organization, the Democratic Front.

 

Asala’s terrorism had arguably had a greater ideological content and had been oriented towards discrediting the official Turkish thesis about the Armenian Genocide and persuading the international public opinion that the Turkish State has no right to rule over Turkish Armenia.

 

The establishment of Asala was a belated reaction to the Genocide the Armenian people underwent by the Turks, and an indirect result of the tranformation of Beirut into the terrorist capital during the 1970’s.

 

Asala’s activities never had the possibility to bring about a new state of affairs which Armenians would like more. Undeniably, in short perspective, Asala’s activities revived the Armenian question, and here lies the main of its achievements, but in long perspective, it deeply divided the Armenian Diaspora and offered an opportunity to the Turkish state to divert the international attention by victimizing herself.

 

 

Christos Iacovou is a postgraduate student of Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University. This article is a summary of his research “Asala: History and Ideology,” originally written in Greek

[Guest]

JUSTICE COMMANDOS OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE. The JCAG is an Armenian nationalist revolutionary organization founded in 1975 seeking to

reestablish an independent Armenian state within the territory occupied by the former Republic of Armenia during World War I within eastern Turkey. It has pursued

this goal through attacks on Turkish diplomats and economic interests outside Turkey in the belief that Turkey bears responsibility for the slaughter of Armenians and

the destruction of the Armenian Republic that occurred in 1915.

 

JCAG differs from the other major Armenian terrorist group, the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA, q.v.) in two important respects:

First, JCAG is primarily nationalistic rather than Marxist-Leninist. Therefore it has relied almost exclusively on private support from Armenian communities rather

than state-sponsorship from countries hostile to Turkey. Second, the members of JCAG, being very Westernized nationalists, value Western and world public

opinion highly and therefore take pains to avoid harming non-Turkish nationals mindful of the potential harm such actions could render the Armenian cause.

Nonetheless JCAG has conducted attacks on Turkish targets within the United States, making themselves felt there as a very serious terrorist threat to law and

order.

 

An analysis of 29 noteworthy actions by JCAG in the period from 1975-1983 showed that 52 percent (=15) involved assassination of Turkish diplomats, 2 of them

in the United States and another in Canada; 45 percent (=13) involved bombings and arsons of Turkish diplomatic, tourism, and commercial offices; while 3 percent

(=1) represented an unfulfilled threat against Turkish targets. JCAG terrorism within the United States took place entirely from January 1982 to May 1982: On 29

January 1982, Kemal Arikan, consul general of Turkey in Los Angeles, was shot and killed as he was driving home. On 22 March 1982, the offices of Orhan

Gunduz, honorary Turkish consul general in Boston, were firebombed and he himself was shot and killed on 4 May 1982. A conspiracy to bomb the home of the

honorary consul general of Turkey in Philadelphia was foiled in October 1982. Since then nothing further has been heard of JCAG either in the United States or

abroad, a curious fact that requires some explanation.

 

On 15 July 1983, the ASALA bombed Orly Airport near Paris, killing 7 and wounding over 60 bystanders. This event led to a crisis within ASALA as many

members protested what they believed to be counterproductive violence against non-Turkish nationals. The dissenting faction became known as

ASALA-Revolutionary Movement, to be distinguished from the mainline ASALA-Militant. Beginning also in July 1983, the name "Justice Commandos of the

Armenian Genocide" dropped from use while actions similar to those of JCAG began to be claimed in the name of the "Armenian Revolutionary Army'' (ARA).

Many analysts believe that the JCAG merely changed its name to ARA and that it is essentially the same organization. It is also possible that members of

ASALA-RM and JCAG may have amalgamated themselves into the new ARA. An analysis of 7 actions by ARA in 1983-1985 show that 43 percent (=3) of these

involved assassinations; 14 percent (=2) involved hostage and siege situations; while one car bombing and an unfilled threat each accounted for 14 percent of ARA

activities. While ARA made the same disclaimers as had JCAG that it intended no harm to non-Turkish bystanders in contrast to earlier JCAG operations, at least

six non-Turkish nationals were killed as a result of these operations.

 

In fact, very little is known about the memberships of these groups, their internal structures, or their relations with possible sponsor states or with other terrorist

groups. What little is known about the Armenian groups indicates that they have been involved in factional disputes and internecine fighting that has reduced their

effective presence as terrorist groups since the mid-1980s.

[Guest]

Armenian Atrocities & Terrorism

 

Armenian Terrorism and the Armenian-American

Community

 

Beginning with the cold-blooded murder of Turkey's Consul General in Los Angeles,

Mehmet Baydar, and his young deputy, Consul Bahadžr Demir in January 1973,

Armenian terrorists waged a relentless campaign of assassination against Turkish

diplomats and officials. For the next 15 years, Armenian terrorists murdered 73

innocent men, women, and children, including 41 Turkish diplomats in the United

States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. In addition, the spree of

Armenian political terrorism involved bombings that claimed the lives of innocent

bystanders in France and Turkey as well as several hostage-taking incidents.

 

With the exception of the first event in Los Angeles that was carried out by a lone

Armenian-American, all other terrorist acts were carried out by the two main

Armenian terrorist groups, Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia

(ASALA) and the Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide (JCAG). The

worldwide campaign of Armenian terrorism against Turkish diplomats usually involved

two or three gunmen stalking the official travelling in his car between home and work,

and shooting at the intended victim when his car stopped at a traffic light. Although few

of the Armenian assassins were apprehended, most have eluded capture by the

authorities.

 

The United States and Canada ranked high in terms of the number of Armenian

terrorist acts around the world. In addition to the murders of Mehmet Baydar and

Bahadžr Demir, Kemal Aržkan, the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles was

assassinated by two Armenian terrorists in January 1982, and the Honorary Turkish

Consul General in Boston, Orhan Gündüz, was killed in May 1982. Both attacks were

claimed by JCAG. While an Armenian terrorist named Hampig Sassounian was

charged with Aržkan's murder, Gündüz's killer was never apprehended. During the

same year, Kani Güngör, a commercial counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa

was seriously wounded and permanently paralyzed by an ASALA member and

Turkey's military attache in Ottawa, Colonel Atilla Altžkat was shot to death by a

gunman of the JCAG.

 

In March 1995, the Turkish Ambassador in Ottawa was seriously injured and his wife

and daughter were taken hostage by the JCAG-ARA (Armenian Revolutionary

Army). In addition to assassinations, Armenian terrorists frequently planted bombs at

various targets and threatened the lives of many Turks and friends of Turkey. At least

two other potentially deadly Armenian terrorist attacks planned against the Honorary

Turkish Consuls in Tampa and Philadelphia were aborted either by the intended victim

or by the police.

 

The Armenian terrorist campaign against the representatives of Turkey,

Turkish-Americans, and friends of Turkey was widely criticized by the U.S.

government and in the media. By the early 1980s, U.S. officials and American experts

on international terrorism ranked the Armenian terrorist groups among the deadliest

terrorist organizations in existence and a major threat to law and order in the United

States. Similarly, especially in view of the indiscriminate killings and bombings that

targeted both Turks and others, there was a growing backlash against the Armenian

terrorists in Western Europe as well.

 

However, some Armenian-Americans, including professors teaching at prestigious

universities in this country, prominent writers and elected public officials, expressed

their satisfaction at the fact that Armenian terrorism had led to widespread publicity

about the events that took place in eastern Turkey during World War I. The typical

attitude of many Armenians was that while they did not necessarily approve of the

killings of Turkish officials, they were nevertheless happy that these events had put the

spotlight on the alleged "genocide" of the Armenians by the Turks more than 80 years

ago.

 

However, there were also many Armenian-Americans who did not shy away from

expressing their open support for the terrorists. The trial of Gourgen Mkritch Yanikian

in Santa Barbara in 1973 was a harbinger of things to come: Yanikian, who had

carried out one of the most heinous double-murders in the state's history, was treated

as a "hero" by the crowd of Armenians who had gathered in the courtroom.

Armenian-Americans quickly mobilized and formed a group called "American Friends

of Armenian Martyrs" to raise funds for his defense and to use the court case as "an

educational campaign to bring the story of Turkish genocide before the American and

world attention."(14) Until his death almost a decade later, a few months after he was

released from prison on the order of the then California governor, George

Deukmejian, Yanikian continued to receive gifts and supportive letters from

Armenian-Americans. Similarly, after Hampig Sassounian was found guilty of

murdering the Turkish Consul-General in Los Angeles, Kemal Aržkan, a campaign to

provide funds for his defense raised $250,000 in small donations from

Armenian-Americans throughout the United States.(15) Armenian-Americans

launched similar campaigns for moral support and fund-raising for several other

Armenian terrorists who were captured by the authorities in this country and in

Europe.(16)

 

In his study of Armenian terrorism, Michael Gunter provides a detailed description of

the attitudes expressed by some of the leading members of the Armenian-American

community about the Armenian terrorists:

 

"Harry Derderian, a leading official of the Armenian National Committee (the

Dashnag's political arm), for example, told a reporter: "If terrorism is a contributing

factor in getting people's attention, I can go along with it." Commenting about the

events of 1915 and the current terrorism, Armand Arabian, a superior court judge in

California, declared: "It is the right of Armenians to seek redress . . . Some seek it on

street corners." After Hampig Sassounian was found guilty of murdering the Turkish

Consul in Los Angeles in 1982 . . . Bishop Yeprem Tabakian, the prelate of the

Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church, stated: "Hampig's conviction is an

indictment directed against all Armenians." Archbishop Vatche Hovsepian, the primate

of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, added: "I am truly shocked about the

verdict." George Mason, the moderate publisher of The [Armenian] California

Courier, concluded: "There are many Armenian Americans in California who feel great

sympathy and support for Armenian terrorists. I have talked to numerous peaceful,

fair, and thoughtful men who have expressed support for the terrorists."

 

Levon Marashlian, of the Glendale College of Armenian history and culture, said

Armenian terrorists are "patriots who have been waiting for 70 years." An Armenian

student of Dr. Dennis Papazian, professor of history and the University of Michigan in

Dearborn, was quoted as saying: "In a way, I'm kind of proud of the terrorists."(17)

 

The support that Armenian-Americans gave to the assassins of Turkish diplomats was

also reflected in the Armenian publications in this country. For example, the January

28, 1982 issue of The Armenian Reporter published a New Year's message by Ara

Alex Yenikomshian, a leading member of ASALA. The message, a transcript of the

broadcast that was made in Beirut, discussed openly the terrorist activities that were

carried out by ASALA during 1982 and exhorted all Armenians to "action" until

"occupied Armenian lands are liberated."(18 )The openness with which a prominent

Armenian newspaper in this country lent its pages to one of the top leaders of ASALA

clearly showed the degree of sympathy and support that many Armenian-Americans

extended to a terrorist organization that was considered to be a threat to law and

order by the FBI and other American law enforcement agencies.

 

The direct or indirect support that was given to Armenian terrorism by many

Armenian-Americans played a major role in the acts of violence that led to scores of

fatalities in this country and elsewhere in the world during the 1970s and 1980s.

Undoubtedly, the efforts of the Armenian propagandists to portray Turks and Turkey

as the enemy of the Armenian people, to dehumanize the Turks, and to glorify the

assassinations of the Young Turk leaders by Armenian terrorists after World War I

were all influential in leading young Armenians toward the path of terrorism and

violence. Studies on terrorism show that many terrorists are drawn to violence when

they are able to overcome moral restraint through the process of socialization,

collective beliefs, influence of history, and family traditions.(19) These studies also

show how through indoctrination and propaganda, individuals can be "transformed

rapidly into skilled combatants, who may feel little compunction and even a sense of

pride in taking human life."(20) One of the main objectives of the Armenian

propaganda machine in the United States is to perpetuate the "genocide" myth to such

an extreme that taking revenge against the Turks through any means, including acts of

violence against Turkish officials, becomes morally acceptable for young

Armenian-Americans. An Armenian terrorist, who got caught with four others in 1982

after five sticks of dynamite and a timing device was found in their luggage at Boston's

Logan International Airport, underscored this point when he said later in an interview:

"We had no intentions of plea bargaining . . . because we sincerely thought that what

we had done was morally justifiable."(21)

 

The dehumanization of the intended victims is another characteristic feature of terrorist

mentality and behavior. As one expert notes: "Once dehumanized, the potential victims

are no longer viewed as persons with feelings, hopes, and concerns, but as subhuman

objects . . . It is easier, for example, to brutalize victims when they are referred to as

'worms'."(22) The behavior of the Armenian terrorists conformed to this pattern. With

their constant vilification and dehumanization of "the Turk" in their writings, Armenian

propagandists in this country created a favorable environment for the wave of violence

and terrorism by young Armenian terrorists against Turkish officials for nearly two

decades beginning in the early 1970s. The comments of John D. Hagopian in an

Armenian-American newspaper is a typical example of this effort to divest the Turks

of human qualities: "You [the Turks] are the offspring of those who butchered my

people, and I have no love for you whatsoever. Yes, God made you and your fathers.

But he also made snakes and jackals and hyenas, and Oswald, and Manson."(23)

 

The glorification of the Armenian terrorists who assasinated the Young Turk leaders

after World War I by the Armenian propagandists and writers has similarly contributed

to the attractiveness of terrorism for some young American Armenians. Books and

articles written about the Armenian terrorists of the 1920s portray them as national

heroes who fulfilled their mission of taking revenge against the Turks rather than

criminals or terrorists. Individuals who carried out these assasinations are presented to

the younger generations of Armenians in this country as virtual role models who dared

to challenge the historical "injustice" that was done to the Armenian nation by the

Turks.24 Decades of hero-worshipping of those who assassinated Young Turk

leaders influenced the motives and behavior of those young Armenians who chose to

follow in their footsteps more than 60 years later. It is also worth noting the similarities

and continuities between the two waves of Armenian community mobilized to raise

funds for the terrorists with the Armenian churches and community centers in America

taking the lead. And in both instances, the actions of the Armenian terrorists were

supported directly or indirectly by many Armenian-Americans for publicizing their

"cause" and reviving an interest about the Armenian question in American public

opinion.

 

Intimidation in Academia

 

 

Footnotes:

 

14 The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, March 24, 1973.

 

15 Michael M. Gunter, "Pursuing the Just Cause of Their People": A Study of

Contemporary Armenian Terrorism (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press), p. 74.

 

16 See, e.g. the coverage of the "campaign of solidarity" with Max-Hrair Klindjian,

who was caught after he unsuccessfully tried to assassinate Turkey's Ambassador to

Switzerland in The Armenian Weekly, January 19, 1982.

 

17 Gunter, "Pursuing the Just Cause of Their People:" A Study of Contemporary

Armenian Terrorism, pp. 99-100.

 

18 "ASALA's A. Yenikomshian Addresses New Year's Message to Armenians" The

Armenian Reporter January 26, 1982.

 

19 Martha Crenshaw, "Questions to be answered, research to be done, knowledge to

be applied," in Walter Reich (ed.), Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies,

Theologies, States of Minds (New York, NY, Cambridge University Press), pp.

252-54.

 

20 Albert Bandura, "Mechanisms of moral disengagement," in Reich (ed), Origins of

Terrorism, p. 163.

 

21 Quoted by Jeffrey D. Simon in his The Terrorist Trap: America's Experience With

Terrorism (Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Press), p. 317.

 

22 Ibid. 181.

 

23 John D. Hagopian, "We will never forget," The Armenian Reporter, January 23,

1982.

 

24 See, e.g., Edward Alexander, A Crime of Vengeance (New York, NY: Free Press,

1991), and Jacques Derogy, Resistance and Revenge (New Brunswick, N.J., 1990).

[Guest]

by Jacklin Gharibian

 

 

Armenians--they have such strange names and facial features, an aberrant language

(with peculiar-looking alphabets), and a distinctly odd culture. I always felt this

strangeness within myself, and I reckoned that we were, somehow, different from others.

However, I later learned that Armenians are, instead, distinctly unique. I also presumed

that I knew enough about these "strangers"--about the Genocide, Tigran the Great, William

Saroyan, and the Armenians of California. How can one not know anything about their

culture and history? But, I discovered that my knowledge was very limited and inadequate-

-there is always something more, among the masses, that comes across your face as a non-

coincidental surprise. Then you hear yourself say: "Wow, is it really true that Armenians

did that? I had no idea!"

I registered for Armenian Studies 10 (Introduction to Armenian Studies) for the

1995 fall semester with Dr. Dickran Kouymjian, carrying all of my pre-conceived opinions

and convictions about Armenians. Within the first hour of the class session, I knew that

the class would offer "something" more than just the lecture hours, exams, and reports.

Instead, I sensed that I would encounter challenges that would ultimately reshape my

thinking habits.

For the first seven weeks of the semester, we studied a book written by Michael J.

Arlen called Passage to Ararat. This book was primarily about Arlen's journey to Armenia

which led him to discover his roots and allowed him to come in terms with his father, his

Armenianess, and himself. Arlen, who at times claimed he, "Hated being an Armenian,"

covered nearly all subject matters that Armenians have experienced from the birth of their

nationhood. For instance, the author wrote about the Kings of Nairi, the Kingdom of

Urartu, Tigran the Great, the Armenian community of Fresno, Armenian rug merchants,

Armenian architecture, the Dashnaks, and most important of all, the 1915 Genocide. These

matters concern Armenians, yet Arlen crafted his novel in a manner that grasped the

attention of non-Armenians as well. He brought out universal questions in life, showing

that Armenians have the same needs as other human beings.

Why did the 1915 Genocide take place, and why is it that Armenians, after 80

years, have not yet healed their souls? Coming into the class, I knew the answer for the

first question, but I had difficulties with the second. Several films were shown in class to

help clarify the misunderstandings or our misconceptions about the massacres, such as An

Armenian Journey, The Hidden Holocaust, Everyone's Not Here: Families of the

Armenian Genocide, and The Armenian Case. In the Armenian Studies 10, Syllabus

Reader, we further examined the details of the Genocide. All of this, along with Dr.

Kouymjian's lectures, served the key to my understanding of, "The crime of the century."

I knew that the Turkish government completely denied the Genocide ever taking place in

history, but I further learned that they alleged that the Armenians were revolting against the

Ottoman Empire and that they were the ones who massacred the Turks. Their proof for

this misguided assertion were the guns that were collected from the Armenians and the

Turks who were killed during W.W.I. Perhaps, those who survived the Genocide can not

"forget and forgive" because of the guilt they sense for being fortunate enough to have

escaped death, or because of the anger they feel for not being recognized as the victims of a

calculated crime and instead being portrayed as the aggressors.

We, then, went on to study about the Armenian Apostolic church. We began with

the administrative structure or the hierarchy of the Apostolic church. From here on, it

seemed as if the church was indirectly regulated through politics. For instance, from

1441-1956, Armenians were served by a Catholicos in Etchmiadzin and a second one in

Sis/Antelias; this created a division in the church. Also, Armenia was overtaken by Russia

in 1921, and this caused another problem, because Communists were against religion;

thus, all of the monasteries were closed and the Catholics in Armenia turned to Antelias for

help. Armenians were then caught in the trap of Communism and the Cold War. The

effects of this reached the heart of Fresno and a clear division was apparent between Holy

Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church and St. Paul Armenian Apostolic Church. (Of course,

the details are too lengthy to explain.)

Beyond this, we had to visit two Armenian churches, one Apostolic and one

Protestant; then, we were to write a report on the differences that exist between them.

Therefore, I visited Holy Trinity and Pilgrim Congregational. I am a member of an

Apostolic Armenian Church, and I never had the opportunity to visit any of the Protestant

Churches. This was a phenomenal experience, for I was startled to recognize the

uniqueness of each church. Although I belong to the Apostolic Church, I must confess that

I do not completely comprehend all the traditions of my religion. Many young Armenians

face this conflict; I blame this situation on myself and not on my parents, the Church, or its

structure. Intellectually, to understand the traditions of worshipping God in the Apostolic

Church, one has to recognize the symbolism of the Batarak.. On the other hand, one can

just step into the Protestant Church and know exactly what is occurring. The Armenian

Protestant Church is "Americanized." It's user-friendly--the services are to the point,

direct, and understandable, and it's modernized to fulfill the needs of the people and to help

them confront the issues and predicaments of modern society. The Apostolic Church,

however, aims to preserve cultural traditions, in particular, the Armenian language and

history. In a sense, we are cautioned to always look back (to examine where we came

from) before taking any steps forward. Personally, I enjoyed the services of the Protestant

church, because it was intellectually direct. However, I attend church to be spiritually

shaken, not intellectually. Therefore, the Apostolic church resolves the situation, even if I

do not totally comprehend all of what it has to offer.

Next, we studied one of the most magnificent (American) writers of the 20th

century-William Saroyan. I never studied William Saroyan's writings, while attending

school in the Fresno Unified School District (other than just reading one of his short plays

in my Ethnic Studies class). However, I managed to read some of his works on a "part-

time" basis. Most of the students in the class had not read the works of Saroyan. How

could a person grow up in the Valley and not know Saroyan? I do not understand why

administrators or individual instructors make certain that their students learn something

about a local citizen who later became a world renowned writer? In class, we studied a

short story called The Armenian Mouse, another one called The Daring Young Man on the

Flying Trapeze, and finally we read two of the three Saroyan plays that were edited (in An

Armenian Trilogy) by Dr. Kouymjian, Armenians and Bitlis. Saroyan proudly admitted he

was an Armenian, and believing in the human spirit, he acknowledged Armenians are part

of the human race. In other words, Armenians should be classified as a minority group

that is an alliance of the majority, and not exclusive of it.

Finally, we ended the class with two subjects, the Armenian militant movement and

the Armenian community of Fresno. From 1975 to 1983, young Armenians developed

terrorist ideas towards Turkish government officials to gain the attention of the world about

the Genocide. For 60 years, the peaceful marches and demonstrations never grabbed the

mindfulness of the media; the aim of the two terrorist organizations, the Armenian Secret

Army for the Liberation of Armenia and the Justice Commandos for the Armenian

Genocide, was to resolve this situation. The media breathes to cover accounts that involve

drama and action, and no one realistically cared to hear about 1.5 million people who were

massacred in the Ottoman Empire infinite decades ago. The young radicals, having realized

this point, began to kill Turkish ambassadors, set bombs, high-jack planes and carry out

other revolutionary actions. By the end of the movement, the world heard about the

Genocide and Turkey was compelled to give an explanation of history. However, Turkey

not only continued to deny the Genocide, but it proclaimed that there was a civil war and

the Armenians were the ones who massacred the Turks. It is ironic to realize how violence

called upon violence and that it was thought to be the only way to solve the "Armenian

Question" for the Turks and the question of the Genocide for the Armenians. One side

attempted, viciously, to end human life in its masses, while the fragmented side struggled

out of desperation to reveal the savagery and inhumanity of it all.

At last, we ended the course with the Armenian community of Fresno and the

history of its settlement in the Valley. To help us understand the background of the

community, we viewed a documentary called, Strangers in a Promised Land. This film,

which was narrated by former Governor George Deukmajian, illustrated how the

community grew from the late 1890's to the early 1980's. In the beginning, Armenians

were treated as second-class citizens and were considered to be inferior, but with their hard

work and hard-earned fortunes many became leading citizens of the Valley. Today, there

exists diversity within the Armenian community of Fresno with Armenians continuing to

immigrate to the region from counties of the Middle East, Russia, the Republic of Armenia,

and Mediterranean countries. Personally, I consider Fresno to be a model community for

the Armenians in the Diaspora.

Yes, this is what I learned, but it's only about one fifth of what was covered in the

lectures. I thought I knew enough about my culture? What a funny joke. I now realize

that I need to learn more about my culture and the human culture to become a better citizen

of both cultures. Armenian Studies 10, introduction to Armenian Studies was more of an

introduction to understanding the human self in its deepest uncensored and universal form.

There is nothing strange, aberrant, peculiar, or odd about Armenians. We are not

strangers. We are just six or seven million people roaming about the globe, trying to

preserve our "i-a-n's" and "y-a-n's".

[Guest]

By Dickran Kouymjian

Director,

Armenian Studies Program

 

Twenty years ago I decided that the new Armenian Studies Program I had just formed needed a newspaper. Why a newspaper?

It is rare that an academic program in a university publish a paper, but in that very academic year, Armenian Studies, was transferred

from the School of Art and Humanities to the Ethnic Studies Program in the School of Social Sciences. I noticed that two ethnic

newspapers were published from time to time as supplements to the Daily Collegian: Uhuru, the newspaper of African American students

and La Voz de Azatlan by Hispanic and Latino students. It was important that Armenian students have a vehicle of express, a paper of

information and commentary not just for the four or five hundred Armenians on campus but for the entire student body and for the

Armenian community at large.

There was little precedence for such an Armenian university newspaper, since other than Fresno, there was no U.S. campus at

the time that had such a large Armenian student body. The only other example I could recall at the time, was the Armenian student

newspaper at the American University of Beirut in the 1930s. Since I had profited greatly as a writer for my college newspaper, the

Daily Cardinal at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I knew the experience would complement a college education and give those

involved an extra asset.

The next step was to convince the Media Council of the University that such a paper was justified and to get a budget from the

same body to produce it. The idea was well received. The paper would be a supplement of the Daily Collegian and inserted in it. The

next step was finding a staff. As advisor of the Armenian Students Organization, I knew that I could count on some of the more active

members of the organization. I was also blessed in a sense with two young and brilliant students who were journalism majors, Mark

Malkasian and Mark Najarian, soon to be joined by Bill Erysian, the latter was already working for the Fresno Bee and the former would

soon be working for it also.

Another step in the process was finding an appropriate name. I finally opted for Hye Sharzhoom and the students involved

seemed to accept it after I explained why I chose it. The paper was in my mind to be more than just informational. I wanted it to serve

as a form of activism. At the time Armenians in the diaspora were deeply concerned by the political violence associated with such

organizations as the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide

(JCAG). Armenians around the world were speaking out openly about their forgotten genocide. In France a liberal Armenian journal

entitled Hye Baykar (The Armenian Struggle) was capturing the imagination of Armenian youth in Europe. It too was a newspaper run by

young college age intellectuals, though not affiliated with any school or organization. So I thought Hye Sharzhoom, the Armenian

Movement, would be an appropriate and committed title. After the first few issues, when the editors and some of the staff writers

were being kidded by their schoolmates asking what kind of a ìmovementî was that, we switched to another sense of the word

Sharzhoom, Action.

There were two major purposes to having such a journal: 1) to give students hands-on experience in the production of a

newspaper, 2) to afford the Armenian Studies Program and the Armenian Students Association a convenient and regular instrument of

communication between the campus and the community at large. Both goals have been amply met. Hundreds of students have served as

editors or staff writers over the past twenty years. Many of them have gone on to become professionals infields where writing is

fundamental. From the beginning I decided that paper would be distributed free to anyone who wished anywhere in the United States

or abroad. As its success grew and postage and printings costs skyrocketed, the paper made appeals for support.

The paper also provided continuity to the Armenian Studies Program. Reading through its 63 issues is rediscovering the history of

Armenian studies at Fresno State. The role of the advisor has always been important to the success of the paper. The great difficulty

facing any university club and more so a university newspaper is the transient nature of it officers and staff. Students come and go.

After working closely with a staff developing their inner resources, they suddenly graduate, and the search for replacements starts

again. Both the current advisor, Barlow Der Mugrdechian and myself in the first decades served as the stable element from one group of

students to the next.

We are especially fortunate this twentieth anniversary year to have an outstanding editor, Arakel Arisian, and staff, both

competent and full of enthusiasm. The paper as the oldest (the only?) continuously published Armenian university newspaper in the

world has gained wide recognition throughout the world; its article are regularly reprinted in other papers. Itís readers are loyal and

supportive. Their comments both written and verbal serve as an encouragement to our students. There is now a Hye Sharzhoom

tradition, and after twenty years, even the students take pride in its continuing and accept the burden of getting it out four times a year.

 

The students and the advisor Barlow Der Mugrdechian would very much like to hear from the readers of Hye Sharzhoom,

comments and suggestions. Please write to us in this special year and tell us how you have reacted to what the students have had to

report to you during the past forty semesters.

[Guest]

Bullet Highlights: In My Defence: I'd Rather Die

...series. Edward portrays Gourgen Yanikian in I Would Rather Die. It...

...California. Their assassin was Gourgen Yanikian, a 77-year-old... http://www.conubic.com/eqew/eq-ew/bhl8.html

 

Bullet Highlights: Woodward off the Cuff

...didn't read anything about Gourgen Yanikian, except for the...

...story of Armenian/American Gourgen Yanikian, who murdered two... http://www.conubic.com/eqew/eq-ew/bhl9.html

[Guest]

Nvard jan iys mek@ Hatuk qez hamar e im kormits>

Iys inch vor kardalu es im andznakan Kartsikn en yev im prptumneri ardzyunk@

 

6 amis araj mi bavakanin xoshorakazm / tarets / mi hajaxord ners mtav indz mot mi kano pokrik nverneri karikuner tornikneri hamar , nverner@ @entreluts heto yerb arten vcharum er harstrets te vor terits em , asetsy Hayastanits / tserunu demkin j@pit yekav yev asets/ bavaknin hin yev mets Hambavov Azg ek dzer masin shat em kardatsel yev grel ,

yerb asets vor grel e asetsy te inch kapaktsutyamb ?

patasxanets vro tariner arach ashxatum er Santa Barbara Star news terti hamar vorpes jurnalist, yev tarineri @entatskum bazmativ hodvatsner e grel Santa Barbarayi shrjanum bnakvor Hayeri masin.

Yev kani vor ink@ masnagitatsvats e yerel HAyeri yev HAykakan Harsteri shurj 1973 tvakanin Petrvar amsin iren Arajarkel en Hartsazruyts katarel Santa Barbarayi metsaharust yev arten mets janachum unetsor mi Hye tseruki vor@ verchin 2 shabtneri @entatskum arten isk amborj ashxarhn er janachum ir katarats zohoutyan hamar.

Andznavorutyun@ vori het hartsazruyts er unenalu Santa barbara qaraqi jahachvats Hilton Hoteli tnoren / Solveng Qaraqi 40% relsteyti tnoren Gourgen Yanikian er, tseruni vor@ ir kyanki verchin tarinerum voroshel er ir vrej@ lutsel , lutsel ir vrej@ minchev charabastik qartsger@ ( canser ) verch k@dner ir kyankin. yev voroshel er Mahanal iyn Garapari Hamar Vor@ Paypayel er tariner sharunak.

>> Paron Gurge@ hartszruytsi @endatskum patmel er te inchn e yerel patjar@ vor ink@ katarel e sa/ haytnel vor Yes Giteyi vor Anhat@s Menak chi mna / yete n@ra gorts@ j@shmarit E !!!

manramasnutyuner@ tseruni jurnalist 2cher hishum arten sakayn patmets te inchpes e Karoratsel Paron Gurge@ turk pashtonyanerin hravirel yev katarel iys katarvats@ . arain na kapnvel e Turkakan despanatan het SF haytnel te ir mot e gtvum turkakan mets arvesty gorts vor@ nerkayatsnum e irenits mets arjek / vor ink @tsankanum e handznel iyn turkyain vorpes nver yev vorpes yerbayrakan haraberutyuneri skizb. despan@ hamadziynel e handipelu yev stanalu " nver@ " Yev iyspes Hunvar 27 1973 tvakan 2 turk divanaget@ Pahtar Temir & Mahmed Paytan jamanum en Santa Barbarayi / Montesito qaraqi Baltemor Hoteli pandokum handipetsin Gourgen Yanikian xostatsvats nver@ stanalu hamar.Gourgen Yanikian bavakanin hangist tertum er ir dzeri gork @ yev hnagstutyamb grki porvats edjerist hanelov atrjanak@ 2 pampusht krakum e arajinin / despani ognakan @ portsum e paxnel 2 pampusht el krakum e n@ra vra yev tapalum n@ran." Yes inks eyi porel girk@ yev hatuk z@spanak teradrel iynter vor matneris tetevsharjumits atrjanaka durs ga / bolor im pampushtner ogtveluts heto harevan serani vra pahvats #2 Brauning atrjanak@ vertsnelov motetsa hatakin parkats turkin yev mi gndak kraketsy urisr gangin aselov -SA IN yERBOR HAMAR -iyd jamanak mi tsasum zagty yev kartses te pati vra yerbors n@kar@ tesa aryunot kokord@ ktrvats sakayn j@pit@ demkin kartses asum er - SHNORHAKAL EM GURGEN JAN - mi pampusht el turk despani gangin tvetsy aselov - SA EL QEZ MER HYE AZGI GORMITS VOR 1.5MILYON HAYER MINCHEV IYSOR TAPVATS EN AMENUREK " Gourgen Yanikian'i xosker@ datavarutyan jamanak.

yev iyspe s sksvets mi nor janaparh paykari yev vrej lustelu mi nor arit Hay azgi zavakneri hamar.

Shajum vori karik @ shat shutvanist kar .

" Tariner araj vorpes Kamavor ( fedayi ) yerel em yes Haykakan azatagrakan sharjman masnakits / tsavok srty tesel em iyn amen @inch iysor genotsid e kochvum . tesel em mer Haykakan Geter@ aryunov ltsvats yev diyakner antiv anhamar, yev mer harazatneri anshunch diyakner@, katsnahar yerats Hyi balikner@, aryunakam yerats mer Mayrerin yev mer quyrerin brnabarvats, yev ur er MArdkutyun@? mardkutyan koch@ ? ardarutyun @ yev astvats ? ur eyin iys Mardaser azger@ yerb mez Hayeris het varvum eyin iyspes ? "

 

" Inch inch patjarnerov n@rank ov vertsrel er irents vra HAykakan genotsidi yev Haykakan HArtsi patasxanatvutyun@ het eyin mnum tariner sharunak . Het eyin mnujm kanzi kayin andznakan hartser yev chkayin anhrajesht $$ yev arten isk Haykakan Hartsy vra tsaxkepssak eyin dnum vorpesi gerezman ijetsnen yev moranan arten , tsatskel iyn moratsutyan qori tak, isk yes cheyi karor moranal iyn , mi korm qashelov varaquyr @ iys yev mejter berelov ardarutyan vogin jaytqets im mej krak vor@ iyrets demker@ tarum katarorneri yev dzerker@ iyd dajan "

" yes gitem vor ANHATS MENAK mnalu che yev k@gtnven 1000 Hayer iys nuyn zgatsmunkov yev vreji patasxanatvutyamb.

" martik k@linen vor mi korm k@tornen andznakan @yev papuk atorner@ yve korq korqi k@gan azgi shaheri hamar . Ohnutyan hambyur em shnorhum IYS BANAKI bolor andznurats Zinvornerin n@ants hogu luys@ k@lusavori mer azgi apagan,menk mi tshnami unenk iysor da turkyan e > yev mek n@patak yet stanal mer papakan horrer@. mer papenakan Hayastan@,Ka ashxarhis vra tekuz mek HYE vori yerakneuk HAyi NAyiryan Aryun chi hosum ? vor@ chi hargi ASALAYI ashxatank@? chka , huysov em chi el lini kani vor menk mer kyankov enk vcharelu iys garapari hamar, mez hamar,

 

 

patmutyun@ misht apatsutsum e vor xosker@ qamin e tanum , xostumner@ moratsvum en , ardarutyun @yev azatutyun @kortsnum en irents imast@, yete n@rank chen pashtpanvum amur bruntski kormits ,Martkutyan patmutyan mej chka iysnpisi mi depk yerb mi azg veradarstni vertsvat s horer@ voske pnaki mej UJN e teladrum martkants gortser@ yev azgeri apagan yev mez hamar tekuz yev poker ASALA banak@ klini iyn vorkanov vor karor e minchev verch yev iys bruntsk @ tsnki k@beri mer vosoxin mer tshnamun .mot e iyd jam@ mot e iyd Hushavchari jam@ mot e Azat ankax Hayastan@ " Gourgen Yanikian

 

Chino CA 10-2-1984 ir bantaxtsikum mahatsav Hay azgi metsins zavak / Gourgen Yanikian / arachin artsiv@ Hayastani azatagrman Hye GAxtni Banaki / Tor Astavts Hokin Lusavori Iys Tseruni Fedayi vor@ ir kyanki verhcin qarster tariner Azgi yev vreji hamar antskatsrets BANTUM .

 

>>

>> sharunakem kich ants hajaxord ka mots >

 

 

[This message has been edited by JanFedayi (edited August 08, 2000).]

[Guest]

Sa ASALA'i "zoheri" tsutsakn e BAri VAyelum

 

January 27, 1973 Santa Barbara, California

 

The Armenian Gourgen Yanikian, a U.S. citizen, invites the

Turkish Consul General, Mehmet Baydar, and the Consul,

Bahadir Demir to a luncheon. The unsuspecting diplomats

accept the friendly invitation. Gourgen Yanikian murders his two

guests. He is sentenced to life imprisonment.

 

April 4, 1973 Paris

 

Bombings at the Turkish Consulate General and the offices of

Turkish Airlines (THY). Extensive damage.

 

October 26, 1973 New York

 

Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information Office. The bomb

is discovered in time and defused. A group calling itself the

"Yanikian Commandos" claims responsibility. They want the

release of the double murderer of Santa Barbara, Gourgen

Yanikian, who insidiously murdered two Turkish diplomats.

 

February 7, 1975 Beirut

 

Attempted bombing of the Turkish Information and Tourism

Bureau. The bomb explodes while being defused. A Lebanese

policeman is injured. The "Prisoner Gourgen Yanikian Group"

claims responsibility.

 

February 20, 1975 Beirut

 

The "Yanikian" group demanding the release of the double

murderer of Santa Barbara strikes again. Extensive damage is

caused by a bomb explosion at the THY offices. ASALA

(Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia) also

claims responsibility for the bombing.

 

October 22, 1975 Vienna

 

The Turkish Ambassador, Danis Tunalžgil, is assassinated in

his study by three Armenian terrorists. ASALA claims

responsibility.

 

October 24, 1975 Paris

 

Ambassador Ismail Erez and his driver, Talip Yener, are

murdered. The ASALA and the JCAG (Justice Commandos for

the Armenian Genocide) dispute responsibility.

 

October 28, 1975 Beirut

 

Grenade attack on the Turkish Embassy. The ASALA claims

responsibility.

 

February 16, 1976 Beirut

 

The First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, Oktar Cirit, is

assassinated in a restaurant on Hamra Street. The ASALA claims

responsibility.

 

May 17, 1976 Frankfurt, Essen, Cologne

 

Consulates General in Frankfurt, Essen and Cologne are the

targets of simultaneous bomb attacks.

 

May 28, 1976 Zurich

 

Bomb attacks at the offices of the Turkish Labor Attache and the

Garanti Bank. Extensive damage. A bomb in the Turkish Tourism

Bureau is defused in time. Responsibility is claimed by the

JCAG.

 

May 2, 1977 Beirut

 

The cars of the Military Attache, Nahit Karakay, and the

Administrative Attache, Ilhan Özbabacan, are destroyed. The

two diplomats are uninjured. Credit is claimed by the ASALA.

 

May 14, 1977 Paris

 

Bomb attack at the Turkish Tourism Bureau. Extensive damage.

The "New Armenian Resistance Group" claims responsibility.

 

June 6, 1977 Zurich

 

Bomb attack at the store of a Turkish citizen, Hüseyin Bülbül.

 

June 9, 1977 Rome

 

Assassination of the Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Taha

Caržm. He dies soon after the attack. The JCAG claims

responsibility.

 

October 4, 1977 Los Angeles

 

Bomb attack at the house of Professor Stanford Shaw, who

teaches Ottoman history at the University of California in Los

Angeles (UCLA). Responsibility is claimed by an "Armenian

Group of 28."

 

January 2, 1978 Brussels

 

Bomb attack at a building containing Turkish banking services.

The "New Armenian Resistance" claims credit.

 

June 2, 1978 Madrid

 

Terrorist attack on the automobile of the Turkish Ambassador,

Zeki Kuneralp. His wife, Necla Kuneralp, the retired Turkish

Ambassador Besir Balcžoglu die immediately in the rain of

gunfire. The Spanish chauffeur, Antonio Torres, dies of his

injuries in the hospital. ASALA and JCAG claim responsibility.

 

December 6, 1978 Geneva

 

A bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate General.

Extensive damage. The "New Armenian Resistance Group"

claims responsibility.

 

December 17, 1978 Geneva

 

A bomb explodes at the THY Bureau. ASALA claims

responsibility.

 

July 8, 1979 Paris

 

The French capital experiences four bomb attacks in a single

day. The first is at the THY offices; the next at the offices of the

Turkish Labor Attache; the third in the Turkish Information and

Tourism Bureau. A fourth explosive, intended for the Turkish

Permanent Representative to the O.E.C.D., is defused before it

explodes. The JCAG claims responsibility.

 

August 22, 1979 Geneva

 

A bomb is thrown at the car of the Turkish Consul General,

Niyazi Adalž. The diplomat escapes unhurt. Two Swiss

passers-by are injured. Two cars are destroyed.

 

August 27, 1979 Frankfurt

 

The offices of THY are totally destroyed by an explosion. A

pedestrian is injured. The ASALA claims responsibility.

 

October 4, 1979 Copenhagen

 

Two Danes are injured when a bomb explodes near the offices

of THY. ASALA claims credit.

 

October 12, 1979 The Hague

 

Ahmet Benler, the son of Turkish Ambassador Özdemir Benler,

is assassinated by Armenian terrorists. The murderers escape.

JCAG and ASALA claim responsibility.

 

October 30, 1979 Milan

 

The offices of THY are destroyed by a bomb explosion. ASALA

claims responsibility.

 

November 8, 1979 Rome

 

The Turkish Tourism Office is destroyed by a bomb. ASALA

claims responsibility.

 

November 18, 1979 Paris

 

Bomb explosions destroy the offices of THY, KLM, and

Lufthansa. Two French policemen are injured. Responsibility is

claimed by ASALA.

 

November 25, 1979 Madrid

 

Bomb explosions in front of the offices of TWA and British

Airways. ASALA, in claiming responsibility, states that the

attacks are meant as a warning to the Pope to cancel his planned

visit to Turkey.

 

December 9, 1979 Rome

 

Two bombs explode in downtown Rome, damaging the offices of

PAN AM, British Airways and the Philippine Airways. Nine

people are injured in the terrorist attack. A "New Armenian

Resistance Movement" claims responsibility.

 

December 17, 1979 London

 

Extensive damage is caused when a bomb explodes in front of

the THY offices. A "Front for the Liberation of Armenia" claims

responsibility.

 

December 22, 1979 Paris

 

Yžlmaz Çolpan, the Tourism Attache at the Turkish Embassy is

assassinated while walking on the Champs Elysées. Several

groups, including ASALA, JCAG and the "Commandos of

Armenian Militants Against Genocide" claim responsibility.

 

December 22, 1979 Amsterdam

 

Heavy damage results from a bomb explosion in front of the

THY offices. ASALA claims credit.

 

December 23, 1979 Rome

 

A bomb explodes in front of a World Council of Churches

Refugee Center, being used as a transit point for Armenian

refugees from Lebanon. ASALA claims credit for the attack and

warns the Italian authorities to halt "the Armenian diaspora."

 

December 23, 1979 Rome

 

Three bomb explosions occur in front of the offices of Air

France and TWA, injuring a dozen passers-by. ASALA claims

responsibility, stating that the bomb was placed "in reprisal

against the repressive measures of French authorities against

Armenians in France" (i.e., questioning suspects, carry out

investigations, etc.)

 

January 10, 1980 Teheran

 

A bomb which explodes in front of the THY offices causes

extensive damage. ASALA claims responsibility.

 

January 20, 1980 Madrid

 

A series of bomb attacks, resulting in numerous injuries, occurs

in front of the offices of TWA, British Airways, Swissair, and

Sabena. The JCAG claims credit for the attacks.

 

February 2, 1980 Brussels

 

Two bombs explode within minutes of each other in front of the

downtown offices of THY and Aeroflot. The "New Armenian

Resistance Group" issues a communique in which they claim

responsibility for both attacks.

 

February 6, 1980 Bern

 

A terrorist opens fire on Turkish Ambassador Dogan Türkmen,

who escapes with minor wounds. The would-be-assassin, an

Armenian named Max Klindjian, is subsequently arrested in

Marseilles and returned to Switzerland for trial. The JCAG

claims credit for the attack.

 

February 18, 1980 Rome

 

The offices of Lufthansa, El Al and Swissair are damaged by

two bomb attacks. Telephone messages give three reasons for the

attacks: 1. The Germans support "Turkish fascism"; 2. The Jews

are Zionists (ASALA); 3. The Swiss behave "repressively"

towards the Armenians.

 

March 10, 1980 Rome

 

Bomb attacks on the THY and Turkish Tourism Bureau offices

on the Piazza Della Repubblica. The blasts kill two Italians and

injure fourteen. Credit for the attack is claimed by the "New

Armenian Resistance of the Armenian Secret Army."

 

April 17, 1980 Rome

 

The Turkish Ambassador to the Holy See, Vecdi Türel, is shot

and seriously wounded. His chauffeur, Tahsin Güvenç, is also

slightly wounded in the assassination attempt. JCAG claims

responsibility for the attack.

 

May 19, 1980 Marseilles

 

A rocket aimed at the Turkish Consulate General in Marseilles is

discovered and defused prior to exploding. ASALA and a group

calling itself "Black April" claim credit for the attack.

 

July 31, 1980 Athens

 

Galip Özmen, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish

Embassy, and his family are attacked by Armenian terrorists

while sitting in their car. Galip Özmen and his fourteen-year-old

daughter, Neslihan, are killed in the attack. His wife, Sevil, and

his sixteen-year-old son, Kaan, are wounded. Credit for the

double killing is claimed by ASALA.

 

August 5, 1980 Lyon

 

Two terrorists storm into the Turkish Consulate General in Lyon

and open fire, killing two and injuring several other bystanders.

ASALA claims credit for the attack.

 

August 11, 1980 New York

 

An "Armenian group" hurls paint bombs at the Turkish House

across from the United Nations, home of the Turkish

Representations in New York.

 

September 26, 1980 Paris

 

Selçuk Bakkalbasž, the Press Counselor at the Turkish

Embassy, is shot as he enters his home. Bakkalbasž survives but

is permanently paralyzed as a result of his injuries. ASALA

claims responsibility for the attack.

 

October 3, 1980 Geneva

 

Two Armenian terrorists are injured when a bomb they are

preparing explodes in their Geneva hotel room. The two, Suzy

Mahseredjian from Canoga Park, California, and Alexander

Yenikomechian, are arrested. Their arrest leads to the formation

of a new group called "October 3," which subsequently strikes at

Swiss targets.

 

October 3, 1980 Milan

 

Two Italians are injured when a bomb explodes in front of the

THY offices. ASALA claims credit for the attack.

 

October 5, 1980 Madrid

 

The offices of Alitalia are rocked by a bomb explosion which

injures twelve individuals. The ASALA claims responsibility

for the attack.

 

October 6, 1980 Los Angeles

 

Two molotov ****tails are thrown into the home of the Turkish

Consul General, Kemal Aržkan. He survives with injuries.

 

October 10, 1980 Beirut

 

Two bombs explode near Swiss offices in West Beirut. A group

calling itself "October 3" claims responsibility for these

bombings as well as others on the same day against Swiss

offices in England.

 

October 12, 1980 New York

 

A bomb placed in front of the Turkish House explodes. Four

passers-by are injured. JCAG assumes responsibility.

 

October 12, 1980 Los Angeles

 

A travel agency in Hollywood, owned by a Turkish-American, is

destroyed. JCAG claims responsibility.

 

October 12, 1980 London

 

The Turkish Tourism and Information Bureau's offices are

damaged by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims credit.

 

October 12, 1980 London

 

A Swiss shopping complex in central London is damaged by a

bomb blast. Callers claim the explosion was the work of

"October 3."

 

October 13, 1980 Paris

 

A Swiss tourist office is damaged by a bomb explosion.

"October 3" again claims credit.

 

October 21, 1980 Interlaken, Switzerland

 

A bomb is found in a Swiss express train coming from Paris.

Luckily, it does not explode. "October 3" is believed to be

behind the action, which could have caused a catastrophe.

 

November 4, 1980 Geneva

 

The Swiss Palace of Justice in Geneva is heavily damaged by a

bomb explosion. Credit is claimed by "October 3."

 

November 9, 1980 Strasbourg

 

Heavy damage results from a bomb blast at the Turkish

Consulate General. The attack is claimed by ASALA.

 

November 10, 1980 Rome

 

Five people are injured in attacks on the Swissair and Swiss

Tourist offices. ASALA and "October 3" claim credit.

 

November 19, 1980 Rome

 

The offices of the Turkish Tourism Bureau and those of THY are

damaged by a bomb explosion. ASALA claims responsibility.

 

November 25, 1980 Geneva

 

The offices of the Union of Swiss Banks are hit by a bomb

explosion. Responsibility is claimed by "October 3."

 

December 5, 1980 Marseilles

 

A police expert defuses a time bomb left at the Swiss Consulate

in Marseilles. "October 3" claims responsibility.

 

December 15, 1980 London

 

Two bombs placed in front of the French Tourism Office in

London are defused by a Scotland Yard bomb squad. "October

3" claims the bombs are a warning to the French for assistance

they have rendered the Swiss in fighting Armenian terrorism.

 

December 17, 1980 Sydney

 

Two terrorists assassinate saržk Aržyak, the Turkish Consul

General, and his bodyguard, Engin Sever. JCAG claims

responsibility.

 

December 25, 1980 Zurich

 

A bomb explosion destroys a radar monitor at Kloten Airport,

and a second explosive planted on the main runway of the airport

is defused. "October 3" claims credit for these attempted

mass-murders.

 

December 29, 1980 Madrid

 

A Spanish reporter is seriously injured in a telephone booth

while calling in a story to his paper about the bomb attack on the

Swissair offices. "October 3" claims responsibility.

 

December 30, 1980 Beirut

 

Bomb attack on the Credit-Suisse offices. ASALA and "October

3" fight over who gets the credit.

 

January 2, 1981 Beirut

 

In a press communique, ASALA threatens to "attack all Swiss

diplomats throughout the world" in response to the alleged

mistreatment of "Suzy and Alex" in Switzerland. On January 4,

ASALA issues a statement giving the Swiss a few days to think

things over.

 

January 14, 1981 Paris

 

A bomb explodes in the car of Ahmet Erbeyli, the Economic

Counselor of the Turkish Embassy. Erbeyli is not injured, but the

explosion totally destroys his car. A group calling itself the

"Alex Yenikomechian Commandos" of ASALA claims credit for

the explosion.

 

January 27, 1981 Milan

 

The Swissair and Swiss Tourist offices in Milan are damaged by

bomb explosions. Two passers-by are injured. "October 3"

claims credit for the bombing in a call to local media

representatives.

 

February 3, 1981 Los Angeles

 

Bomb-squad officials disarm a bomb left at the Swiss Consulate.

The terrorists threaten in anonymous phone calls that such attacks

will continue until Suzy Mahseredjian is released.

 

February 5, 1981 Paris

 

Bombs explode in the TWA and Air France offices. One injured,

heavy material damage. "October 3" claims credit.

 

March 4, 1981 Paris

 

Two terrorists open fire on Resat Moralž, Labor Attache at the

Turkish Embassy, Tecelli Arž, Religious Affairs Attache, and

Ilkay Karakoç, the Paris representative of the Anadolu Bank.

Moralž and Arž are assassinated. Karakoç manages to escape.

ASALA claims responsibility.

 

March 12, 1981 Teheran

 

A group of ASALA terrorists try to occupy the Turkish Embassy,

killing two guards in the process. Two of the perpetrators are

captured and later executed by the Iranians. ASALA claims

credit.

 

April 3, 1981 Copenhagen

 

Cavit Demir, the Labor Attache at the Turkish Embassy, is shot

as he enters his apartment building late in the evening and is

seriously wounded. Both ASALA and JCAG claim the attack.

 

June 3, 1981 Los Angeles

 

Bombs force the cancellation of performances by a Turkish

folk-dance group. Threats of similar bombings force the group's

performances in San Francisco to be canceled as well.

 

June 9, 1981 Geneva

 

Mehmet Savas Yergüz, Secretary in the Turkish Consulate, is

assassinated by the Armenian terrorist Mardiros Jamgotchian.

The arrest of the ASALA terrorist leads to the formation of a

new ASALA branch called the "Ninth of June Organization,"

which will be responsible for a new series of attacks.

 

June 11, 1981 Paris

 

A group of Armenian terrorists, led by one Ara Toranian,

occupies the THY offices. Initially ignored by the French

authorities, the terrorists are only evicted from the premises after

vehement protests from the Turkish Embassy.

 

June 19, 1981 Teheran

 

A bomb explodes at the offices of Swissair. The "Ninth of June

Organization" claims responsibility.

 

June 26, 1981 Los Angeles

 

A bomb explodes in front of the Swiss Banking Corporation

offices. Again the work of the "Ninth of June Organization."

 

July 19, 1981 Bern

 

A bomb explodes at the Swiss Parliament Building. "Ninth of

June" claims responsibility.

 

July 20, 1981 Zurich

 

"Ninth of June" strikes again. A bomb explodes in an automatic

photo-booth at Zurich's international airport.

 

July 21, 1981 Lausanne

 

Twenty women are injured as a bomb laid by Armenian

terrorists explodes in a department store. "Ninth of June" claims

responsibility.

 

July 22, 1981 Geneva

 

A bomb explodes in a locker at the train station. Authorities

suspect "Ninth of June."

 

July 22, 1981 Geneva

 

An hour later, a second bomb explodes in a locker at the station.

Police cordoned off the area following the first explosion,

thereby preventing injuries from the second.

 

August 11, 1981 Copenhagen

 

Two bombs destroy the offices of Swissair. An American tourist

is injured in the explosion. "Ninth of June" claims

responsibility.

 

August 20, 1981 Los Angeles

 

A bomb explodes outside the offices of Swiss Precision

Instruments. The attack is claimed by "Ninth of June."

 

August 20, 1981 Paris

 

Explosion at Alitalia Airlines. "October 3" is back in action.

 

September 15, 1981 Copenhagen

 

Two people are injured as a bomb explodes in front of the THY

offices. Police experts manage to defuse a second bomb. Credit

is claimed by a "Sixth Armenian Liberation Army."

 

September 17, 1981 Teheran

 

A bomb explosion damages a Swiss Embassy building.

ASALA's "Ninth of June" claims responsibility.

 

September 24, 1981 Paris

 

Four Armenian terrorists occupy the Turkish Consulate General.

During their entry into the building, the Consul, Kaya Inal, and a

security guard, Cemal Özen, are seriously wounded. Terrorists

take 56 hostages. Özen dies of his injuries in the hospital. The

terrorists are ASALA members.

 

October 3, 1981 Geneva

 

The main post office and the city courthouse are hit by bomb

explosions. An ASALA member is scheduled to go on trial for

murder in the courthouse. "Ninth of June" claims credit for the

attacks, which leave one person injured.

 

October 25, 1981 Rome

 

An Armenian terrorist fires at Gökberk Ergenekon, Second

Secretary at the Turkish Embassy. Ergenekon is wounded in the

arm. ASALA claims credit in the name of the "September 24

Suicide Commandos."

 

October 25, 1981 Paris

 

Fouquet's, the fashionable French restaurant, is the target of a

bomb attack. A group calling itself "September-France" claims

the attack.

 

October 26, 1981 Paris

 

The same group is behind the explosion of a booby-trapped

automobile in front of "Le Drugstore."

 

October 27, 1981 Paris

 

"September-France" carries out a bomb attack at Roissy

Airport.

 

October 27, 1981 Paris

 

A second bomb explodes near a busy escalator at Roissy

Airport. No one is injured. "September-France" claims

responsibility.

 

October 28, 1981 Paris

 

The same group is responsible for a bomb attack in a movie

theater. Three people are injured.

 

November 3, 1981 Madrid

 

A bomb explodes in front of the Swissair offices, injuring three

persons. Considerable damage to nearby buildings. ASALA

claims responsibility.

 

November 5, 1981 Paris

 

A bomb explodes in the Gare de Lyon, injuring one person. The

attack is claimed by the Armenian "Orly Organization."

 

November 12, 1981 Beirut

 

Simultaneous bomb explosions occur in front of three French

offices: the French Cultural Center, the Air France offices and

the home of the French Consul General. The "Orly Organization"

claims responsibility. This organization owes its name to the fact

that the French police arrested an Armenian at Orly Airport in

Paris because of forged papers. The idea now is to "bomb him

free."

 

November 14, 1981 Paris

 

A bomb explosion damages an automobile near the Eiffel Tower.

"Orly" claims responsibility.

 

November 14, 1981 Paris

 

"Orly" launches a grenade attack on a group of tourists

disembarking from a sightseeing boat on the River Seine.

 

November 15, 1981 Paris

 

"Orly" threatens to blow up an Air France airplane in flight.

 

November 15, 1981 Beirut

 

Simultaneous bomb attacks are carried out against three French

targets: the "Union des Assurances de Paris", the Air France

offices and the "Banque Libano-Française". "Orly" is

responsible.

 

November 15, 1981 Paris

 

A McDonald's restaurant is destroyed by "September-France."

 

November 16, 1981 Paris

 

A bomb injures two innocent bystanders at the Gare de l'Est.

"Orly" claims responsibility.

 

November 18, 1981 Paris

 

"Orly" announces that it has planted a bomb at the Gare du Nord.

 

November 20, 1981 Los Angeles

 

The Turkish Consulate General in Beverly Hills suffers

extensive damage. The JCAG claims credit.

 

January 13, 1982 Toronto

 

An ASALA bomb causes extensive damage to the Turkish

Consulate General.

 

January 17, 1982 Geneva

 

Two bombs destroy parked cars. The ASALA "Ninth of June

Organization" claims credit.

 

January 17, 1982 Paris

 

A bomb explodes at the Union of Banks and a second is

disarmed at the Credit Lyonnais. "Orly" claims responsibility.

 

January 19, 1982 Paris

 

A bomb explodes in the Air France offices in the Palais des

Congres. "Orly" claims responsibility.

 

January 28, 1982 Los Angeles

 

Kemal Aržkan, the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles, is

assassinated by two terrorists while driving to work. Nineteen

year old Hampig Sassounian is arrested and sentenced to life.

 

March 22, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

A gift shop belonging to Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary

Consul General in Boston, is blown up. Gündüz receives an

ultimatum: Either he gives up his honorary position or he will be

"executed." Responsibility is claimed by the JCAG.

 

March 26, 1982 Beirut

 

Two dead, sixteen injured in an explosion at a movie theater.

ASALA claims credit for the attack.

 

April 8, 1982 Ottawa

 

Kani Güngör, the Commercial Attache at the Turkish Embassy in

Ottawa, is seriously wounded in an attack by Armenian terrorists

in the garage of his apartment house. ASALA claims

responsibility.

 

April 24, 1982 Dortmund, West Germany

 

Several Turkish-owned businesses suffer extensive damage in

bomb attacks. The "New Armenian Resistance Organization"

claims responsibility.

 

May 4, 1982 Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

Orhan Gündüz, the Turkish Honorary Consul General in Boston

is assassinated. The murderer is still at large.

 

May 10, 1982 Geneva

 

Bombs explode at two banks. The attacks are claimed by an

Armenian "World Punishment Organization."

 

May 18, 1982 Toronto

 

Four Armenians are arrested for trying to smuggle money out of

the country. The money was extorted from Armenians, a common

practice throughout the world. In the course of the investigation,

it is discovered that the terrorists fire-bombed the house of an

Armenian who refused to make his contribution to Armenian

terrorism.

 

May 18, 1982 Tampa, Florida

 

Attack at the office of Nash Karahan, the Turkish Honorary

Consul General.

 

May 26, 1982 Los Angeles

 

A bomb damages the office of Swiss Banking Corporation. The

suspects: four Armenians accused of involvement in ASALA.

 

May 30, 1982 Los Angeles

 

Three members of ASALA are arrested when planting a bomb in

the Air Canada cargo-office.

 

June 7, 1982 Lisbon

 

The Administrative Attache at the Turkish Embassy, Erkut

Akbay, and his wife, Nadide Akbay, are assassinated in front of

their home. JCAG claims responsibility.

 

July 1, 1982 Rotterdam

 

Kemalettin Demirer, the Turkish Consul General in Rotterdam, is

shot down by four Armenian terrorists. An "Armenian Red

Army" claims responsibility.

 

July 21, 1982 Paris

 

Sixteen injured in a bomb explosion near a cafe in the Place

Saint-Severin. Credit is claimed by the Orly Organization.

"Orly" complains that the French do not treat the arrested

Armenian terrorists as "political prisoners," but rather as

ordinary criminals.

 

July 26, 1982 Paris

 

"Orly" is responsible for injuring two women in an explosion in

Paris' "Pub Saint-Germain."

 

August 2, 1982 Paris

 

Pierre Gulumian, an Armenian terrorist, is killed when a bomb

he is making explodes in his face.

 

August 7, 1982 Ankara, Esenboga Airport

 

Two Armenian terrorists open fire in a crowded passenger

waiting room. One of the terrorists takes more than twenty

hostages while the second is apprehended by the police. Nine

people are dead and eighty-two injured&emdash;some seriously.

The surviving terrorist, Levon Ekmekjian is arrested and

sentenced.

 

August 8, 1982 Paris

 

A bomb is defused in time. "Orly" regrets the discovery.

 

August 12, 1982 Paris

 

Terrorists open fire on a policeman assigned to protect the

offices of the Turkish Tourism Attache. Luckily, he escapes

without injury.

 

August 27, 1982 Ottawa

 

Colonel Atilla Altžkat, the Military Attache at the Turkish

Embassy, is assassinated in his car. JCAG claims responsibility.

 

September 9, 1982 Burgaz, Bulgaria

 

Bora Süelkan, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish

Consulate General in Burgaz, is assassinated in front of his

home. The assassin leaves a message "We shot dead the Turkish

diplomat: Combat Units of Justice Against the Armenian

Genocide." An anonymous caller claims that the assassination is

the work of a branch of the ASALA.

 

October 26, 1982 Los Angeles

 

Five Armenian terrorists are charged with conspiring to blow up

the offices of the Honorary Turkish Consul General in

Philadelphia. All belong to the JCAG.

 

December 8, 1982 Athens

 

Two Armenians on a motorbike throw a bomb at the offices of

the Saudi Arabian Airlines. The bomb hits a power pylon,

explodes and kills one of the terrorists. His accomplice, an

Armenian from Iran named Vahe Kontaverdian is arrested. It is

later revealed that ASALA ordered the attack because Saudi

Arabia maintains friendly relations with Turkey.

 

January 21, 1983 Anaheim, California

 

Nine "sophisticated" pipe bombs are confiscated from an

Armenian bakery after one of the detonators goes off and causes

fire.

[Guest]

January 22, 1983 Paris

 

Two terrorists attack the offices of THY with hand grenades. No

one is injured. ASALA claims credit.

 

January 22, 1983 Paris

 

French police defuse a powerful explosive device near the THY

counter at Orly airport.

 

February 2, 1983 Brussels

 

The offices of THY are bombed. The "New Armenian

Resistance Organization" claims responsibility.

 

February 28, 1983 Luxembourg

 

A bomb placed in front of Turkey's diplomatic mission is

defused. The Armenian Reporter in New York reports that the

"New Armenian Resistance Organization" is responsible.

 

February 28, 1983 Paris

 

A bomb explodes at the Marmara Travel Agency. Killed in the

explosion is Renée Morin, a French secretary. Four other

Frenchmen are wounded. A few minutes after the attack, ASALA

claims responsibility.

 

March 9, 1983 Belgrade

 

Galip Balkar, the Turkish Ambassador to Yugoslavia is

assassinated in central Belgrade. His chauffeur, Necati Kayar is

shot in the stomach. As the two assailants flee from the scene,

they are bravely pursued by Yugoslav citizens. One of the

terrorists shoots and wounds a Yugoslav Colonel, and is in turn

apprehended by a policeman. The second terrorist opens fire on

civilians who are chasing him, killing a young student and

wounding a young girl. The two terrorists, Kirkor Levonian and

Raffi Elbekian, are tried and sentenced.

 

March 31, 1983 Frankfurt

 

An anonymous caller threatened to bomb the offices and kill the

staff of Tercüman newspaper, a Turkish daily.

 

May 24, 1983 Brussels

 

Bombs explode in front of the Turkish Embassy's Culture and

Information offices and in front of a Turkish-owned travel

agency. The Italian director of the travel agency is wounded.

ASALA claims credit.

 

June 16, 1983 Istanbul

 

Armenian terrorists carry out an attack with hand grenades and

automatic weapons inside the covered bazaar in Istanbul. Two

dead, twenty-one wounded. ASALA claims responsibility.

 

July 8, 1983 Paris

 

Armenian terrorists attack the offices of the British Council,

protesting against the trials of Armenians in London.

 

July 14, 1983 Brussels

 

Armenian terrorists murder Dursun Aksoy, the Administrative

Attache at the Turkish Embassy. ASALA, ARA and JCAG claim

responsibility.

 

July 15, 1983 Paris

 

A bomb explodes in front of the THY counter at Orly airport.

Eight dead, more than sixty injured. A 29 years old

Syrian-Armenian named Varadjian Garbidjian confesses to

having planted the bomb. He admits that the bomb was intended

to have exploded once the plane was airborne.

 

July 15, 1983 London

 

A bomb, similar to the one that exploded at Orly, is defused in

time. ASALA claims responsibility for both attacks.

 

July 18, 1983 Lyon

 

A bomb threat is made by ASALA against the Lyon railroad

station.

 

July 20, 1983 Lyon

 

Panicky evacuation of Lyon's Gare de Perrache following a

bomb threat from ASALA.

 

July 22, 1983 Teheran

 

"Orly" carries out bomb attacks on the French Embassy and Air

France.

 

July 27, 1983 Lisbon

 

Five Armenian terrorists attempt to storm the Turkish Embassy in

Lisbon. Failing to gain access to the chancery, they occupy the

residence, taking the Deputy Chief of Mission(DCM) and his

family hostage. When explosives being planted by the terrorists

go off, Cahide Mžhçžoglu, wife of the DCM and four of the

terrorists are blown to pieces. The DCM, Yurtsev Mžhçžoglu,

and his son Atasay are injured. The fifth terrorist is killed in the

initial assault by Turkish security forces. One Portuguese

policeman is also killed and another wounded. The ARA claims

responsibility.

 

July 28, 1983 Lyon

 

Another bomb threat on Lyon-Perrache railroad station. ASALA

claims responsibility.

 

July 29, 1983 Teheran

 

A threat to blow up the French Embassy in Teheran with a rocket

attack causes Iranian officials to increase security at the facility.

 

July 31, 1983 Lyon and Rennes

 

Bomb threats from Armenian terrorists force the emergency

landing of two domestic French flights carrying 424 passengers.

 

August 10, 1983 Teheran

 

A bomb explodes in an automobile at the French Embassy.

ASALA claims credit for the attack.

 

August 25, 1983 Bonn

 

A whole series of bomb attacks against offices of the French

Consulate General claim two lives and leave twenty-three

injured. ASALA claims responsibility.

 

September 9, 1983 Teheran

 

Two French Embassy cars are bombed. One of the bombs injures

two embassy staff members. ASALA claims credit.

 

October 1, 1983 Marseilles

 

A bomb blast destroys the U.S., Soviet and Algerian pavilions at

an international trade fair in Marseilles. One person is killed and

twenty-six injured. ASALA and "Orly" claim credit.

 

October 6, 1983 Teheran

 

A French Embassy vehicle is bombed, injuring two passengers.

"Orly" claims responsibility.

 

October 29, 1983 Beirut

 

Hand-grenade attack on the French Embassy. One of the ASALA

terrorists is arrested.

 

October 29, 1983 Beirut

 

The Turkish Embassy is attacked by three Armenian terrorists.

One of the assailants, Sarkis Denielian, a 19 years old

Lebanese-Armenian is apprehended. ASALA claims

responsibility.

 

February 8, 1984 Paris

 

Bomb threat on an Air France flight to New York.

 

March 28, 1984 Teheran

 

A timed series of attacks is carried out against Turkish

diplomats:

 

Two Armenian terrorists shoot and seriously wound Sergeant

Ismail Pamukçu, employed at the office of the Turkish Military

Attache;

 

Hasan Servet Öktem, First Secretary of the Turkish Embassy, is

slightly wounded as he leaves his home;

 

Ibrahim Özdemir, the Administrative Attache at the Turkish

Embassy, alerts police to two suspicious looking men. They turn

out to be Armenian terrorists and are arrested;

 

In the afternoon of the same day, Iranian police arrest three more

Armenian terrorists outside the Turkish Embassy;

 

An Armenian terrorist is killed when a bomb he is attempting to

plant in the car of the Turkish Assistant Commercial Counselor

explodes prematurely. The dead terrorist is later identified as

Sultan Gregorian Semaperdan (ASALA).

 

March 29, 1984 Los Angeles

 

ASALA sends a written threat, saying they will assassinate

Turkish athletes who take part in the Olympics.

 

April 8, 1984 Beirut

 

ASALA issues a communique warning that all flights to Turkey

will be considered military targets.

 

April 26, 1984 Ankara

 

The Turkish Prime Minister, Turgut Özal, receives a threat

warning him that if he goes ahead with a planned visit to

Teheran, ASALA will schedule a major terrorist operation

against his country.

 

April 28, 1984 Teheran

 

Two Armenian terrorists riding a motorcycle open fire on Isžk

Yönder as he drives his wife, Sadiye Yönder, to the Turkish

Embassy where she works. Isžk Yönder is killed, and ASALA

claims credit for yet another senseless murder.

 

June 20, 1984 Vienna

 

A bomb explodes in a car belonging to Erdogan Özen, Assistant

Labor and Social Affairs Counselor at the Turkish Embassy in

Vienna. Özen is killed and five others seriously wounded,

including a policeman. ARA terrorists claim credit for the

crime.

 

June 25, 1984 Los Angeles

 

A news agency office in France receives a letter threatening to

attack all governments, organizations and companies which

assist, in any way whatsoever, Turkey's team at the Los Angeles

Olympics.

 

August 13, 1984 Lyon

 

A bomb explodes in a Lyon train station causing minor damage.

ASALA claims credit.

 

September 1984 Teheran

 

Several Turkish owned firms in Iran come under attack after

receiving warning letters informing them that they are to be

targeted. The first victim is the Sezai Türkes Company. A

Turkish employee is injured while fighting the fire caused by the

explosion. A chain of smaller scale acts of intimidation follows.

 

September 1, 1984 Teheran

 

Iranian authorities expose a plot to assassinate Ismet Birsel, the

Turkish Ambassador to Teheran.

 

September 3, 1984 Istanbul

 

Two Armenian terrorists die as one of their bombs goes off too

soon. The ARA claims credit.

 

November 19, 1984 Vienna

 

Evner Ergun, Deputy Director of the Centre for Social

Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations,

Vienna is assassinated while driving to work. The assassins

leave a flag with the initials "ARA" on his body.

 

December 1984 Brussels

 

Authorities are able to thwart a bombing attempt at the residence

of Selçuk Incesu, Turkish Consul General.

 

December 29, 1984 Beirut

 

Two French buildings in East Beirut are bombed. ASALA

claims credit.

 

December 29, 1984 Paris

 

Following an ASALA threat to blow up an Air France plane,

police increase security at the Charles de Gaulle Airport.

 

January 3, 1985 Beirut

 

The offices of Agence France Presse are extensively damaged

when a bomb explodes.

 

March 3, 1985 Paris

 

An anonymous caller to Agence France Presse threatens to attack

French interests throughout the world upon the indictment of the

three terrorists who participated in the Orly attack.

 

March 12, 1985 Ottawa

 

Three heavily armed terrorists storm the Turkish Embassy,

killing a Canadian security guard in the process. After blowing

up the front door, the gunmen enter the building. Ambassador

Coskun Kžrca manages to escape but suffers extensive injuries.

The wife and daughter of the Ambassador, who were taken

hostage, are later released, and the terrorists surrender. ARA

claims responsibility.

 

March 26, 1985 Toronto

 

A threat to blow up the city of Toronto's transit system leads to

chaos during the rush hour. An "Armenian Secret Army for the

Liberation of Our Homeland" claims responsibility for the

threat.

 

November 1985 Brussels

 

A special anti-terrorist security squad of the Belgian police

exposes and arrests three Armenian terrorists with Portuguese

passports. They were planning an attack on Turkish officers at

NATO headquarters.

 

November 28, 1985 Paris

 

French police arrest the leader of the terrorist

organization&emdash;the "Armenian Secret Army for the

Liberation of Armenia-Revolutionary Movement"

(ASALA-RM)&emdash;Mr. Monte Melkonian, a U.S. citizen. In

Melkonian's apartment, police confiscate weapons, explosive

devices, arrival and departure information on Turkish ships

scheduled to visit France and a picture of Turkey's Ambassador

to France, Adnan Bulak.

 

December 1985 Paris

 

Forty-one shoppers in two of Paris' leading department stores

(Gallerie Lafayette and Printemps) are injured (twelve

seriously) when nearly simultaneous bomb explosions rip

through the stores. In the ensuing panic, some 10,000 Christmas

shoppers flee into the street. The Armenian Reporter, published

in New York, reports in its December 12th issue that French law

enforcement authorities are concentrating on ASALA as the most

likely perpetrator. ASALA later takes credit for the two

bombings.

 

November 23, 1986 Melbourne

 

At 2:15 a.m. a bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate

General. One dead -presumedly the perpetrator- and one

Australian injured.

 

At 2:15 a.m. a bomb explodes in front of the Turkish Consulate

General. One dead -presumedly the perpetrator- and one

Australian injured

[Guest]

yete Gourgen Yanikian, masin aveli tvyalner k@tsankanak iytselek iys Web page@ http://www.conubic.com/eqew/eq-ew/bhl9.html

http://www.conubic.com/eqew/eq-ew/bhl8.html

[MosJan]

Gurgen Yanikyan

 

http://jdpromo7.com/jdpict/images/42.jpg

 

 

Photography by JACOB DEMIRDJIAN

http://jdpromo7.com/

 

http://jdpromo7.com/jdpict/images/2.jpg

[Mica]

www.armenians.com/asalaonline

great site!!!!