Hrant Dink & Armenian Terrorism
Following the murder of Hrant Dink in Istanbul, the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) has been mentioned in some Turkish circles to counter claims made by some Armenians in the Diaspora that as Dink was murdered by a Turk, all Turks are potential murderers. In response, they state that Turks do not claim that all Armenians are terrorists, although to be honest, I’m sure they have on occasion.
I wonder if the boring clichéd commentators on the Dink murder could answer any of the following questions: Can a whole nation be held responsible for one (or a few) heinous act(s) of a fanatic(s)? If yes, are the Dutch a “murderer nation” because Volkert van der Graaff, a non-Muslim Dutchman, for example, murdered Pim Fortuyn? Did any Turk hold Turkey’s Armenians responsible for the murders by ASALA of scores of Turkish diplomats?
Anyway, Armoblog explains who ASALA were, and what they were trying to accomplish. It’s quite a brave post as most Armenians prefer to pretend that ASALA never existed. However, it is part of contemporary Armenian history and specifically with regards to Turkey’s “Armenian Question.”
Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia - better known as ASALA, also known as The Orly Group or 3 October Organization - is the most infamous of all Armenian terrorist groups. The organization was founded in 1975 in Beirut, Lebanon by Hagop Tarakchian and Hagop Hagopian. ASALA’s was founded to force the Turkish government to acknowledge publicly its responsibility for the Armenian Genocide, pay reparations, and return Armenian lands. They planned to accomplish these objectives by assassinating Turkish diplomats and politicians, though they have killed many civilians, as well.
Some of their acts include: assassination of Turkish ambassador to Austria Danis Tunaligil in Vienna in 1975 , assassination of the First Secretary of Turkish Embassy Oktay Cerit in Beirut in 1976, killing 9 people in the bombing of Ankara airport in 1982, and killing 8 people in the bombing at Orly Airport in Paris in 1983. It is believed that ASALA has killed a total of 31 people, including women and children, and wounded many others.
As of today, ASALA is not believed to be active.
Interestingly, there are few ASALA members from the Diaspora living in Armenia today, but while they do hit the headlines from time to time, they mainly engage in economic activities such as opening bars, restaurants and even bus routes. Incidently, Wikipedia has more on ASALA here.
The ASALA’s most destructive attack was on August 7, 1982 in Ankara at the Esenboga International Airport, when its members targeted civilians for the first time. Two militants opened fire in a crowded passenger waiting room. One of the shooters took more than 20 hostages while the second was apprehended by police. Altogether, nine people died and 82 were injured. The surviving militant Levon Ekmekjian condemned the ASALA in the aftermath of the attack and appealed to other members to leave and stop the violence. The Esenboga attack also precipitated a split in the group over tactics, between the Nationalists (ASALA-Militant) led by Hagopian and the ‘Popular Movement’ (ASALA-Mouvement Révolutionnaire) led by Monte Melkonian. While Melkonian’s faction insisted on attacks strictly against Turkish officials and the Turkish government, Hagopian’s group disregarded the losses of unintended victims and regularly executed dissenting members.
On the matter of stereotyping nations on the basis of ethnic killings, Aravot has picked up on an issue that I raised earlier this week with regards to the killing of Dink in Turkey and the scores of Armenians and others being killed by nationalists in Russia.
“Aravot” complaints that unlike the assassination of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink, the violent death of yet another Armenian resident of Russia has attracted little media coverage. A 16-year-old schoolboy, Artur Mnatsakanian, was stabbed to death in a small town near Moscow on the same day that Dink was killed in Istanbul. “Naturally, the significance of these events is different,” editorializes the paper. “But not so different that one of them should be turned into a patriotic show white the other condemned to absolute indifference. Especially considering the fact that the Istanbul killing was the first crime of its kind committed in Turkey in recent years, while the killings of Armenians in Russia occur on an almost daily basis. Perhaps Artur could become a prominent individual like Hrant if grew up.”
Anyway.
I was reading about the Dink case and came across this blog. It makes me very sad to see people who hate so much based on ethnicity and religion. God rest Hrant Dink’s soul, and hopefully his death will lead the Turks to defy their powerful nationalists and Islamists and recognize the Genocide.
As for Russia, that is a real shame, given that Armenians have achieved so much in Russia over the years. The racism in Russia is just unbelievable; I read that skinheads set a 10 years old child on fire because he was Armenian, and they have attacked Spanish and Italian tourists because they thought they were Armenians.
Comment by patrick — January 27, 2007 @ 7:05 pm
Actually, the attempted takeover of the Ankara Esenboga airport in 1982, by the ASALA was the first maifestation of Armenian political violence in Turkey for many decades . Civilian deaths resulted as a result of the Turkish military forces counter attack on the airport. This does not condone nor justify the loss of innocent human lives through the 10 years or so that the ASALA operated. Many in the diaspora spoke out about the misguided and unrevolutionary tatics of ASALA under the direction of Hagopian. Ultimately this led to the split in the organization with the Melkonian clique taking a more rational and revolutionary position on the use of violence.
The period of the 1980’s during which the ASALA operated and the political as well as philosophical issues raised as a result, are indeed an episode of recent Armenian social history that needs to be analyzed and not conveniently ignored. Those who were engaged in the ferment and fervor of those times, in retrospect, need to share their experiences, their hopes and disappointments, with those who have taken up the struggle for peace with justice in Turkey and beyond
Comment by Arapo — January 28, 2007 @ 1:13 am
If correct, it appears that a cousin of Hrant Dink, one Nubar Yalimian, was assassinated in Holland back in 1982 by Turkish secret agents for his political activity within the thousands of Turks who had found safe haven in that country. There were also, during those years, many Armenians from the Turkish provinces who spoke little or no Armenian, who had also moved to Holland due to liberal resettlement laws.
We who protested Yalimian’s murder, and there were many Turks as well who joined our efforts, knew that Turkish agents had infiltrated the conmmunity there
Comment by arapo — January 29, 2007 @ 2:08 am
When the governing system doesn’t function well in a country, you encounter with all types of problems there. As a Turkish citizen I admit that we have lots of problems in terms of democracy or justice. But don’t think that all the evil is happening to the minorities in Turkey. You are unaware but we all suffer. I guess you perceive things with an American point of view. I guess you imagine Turks live in full prosperity, have every right but they limit the rights of their minorities. This is not true. I wish it would be easy to change things and create a well funtioning democratic system, but it takes time. In order to understand Turks you have to know the social problems we suffer. I see that you are prejudiced against Turks. And there is nothing anybody can do to remove these prejudices, but you. I can only advise you to come and visit Turkey, so that you get an objective view.
Comment by ipek — January 31, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
To Ipek,
No one is downplaying the oppression faced by the average Turkish citizen in Turkey today or historically. Having grown up there I speak with a bit of experience. However, I can say it’s somewhat unfair of you to equate the plight of minorities in Turkey with the majority Turkish population. Hundreds of Kurdish villages have been razed to the ground and thousands of Kurds have been killed for no other reason that they uttered some words of protest regarding their plight as a people.
Even if Turkey developed into a”democracy” the pyschology of the average Turkish citizen toiwards their mionority populations would not change. These are prejudices that you and your counterparts, not I, need to analyze and modify.
Comment by arapo — February 3, 2007 @ 2:25 am
Arapo, I disagree. If any country is to develop into a democracy then it’s psychology also becomes more democratic and respectful of the rule of law. There will be exceptions, of course, and significant parts of the population who are die-hard left-wing, right-wing, or ultra-nationalist, but democratic countries represent a majority that first of all recognize nationality as first of all being citizenship over ethnicity.
Therefore, if Turkey is to become a truly democratic state, then that psychology will also be there. Whether it will or not is another question. For sure, it will take a long time even if it will happen, but it is important also for Armenia that it does.
Comment by Onnik — February 3, 2007 @ 1:52 pm