31 Turkish diplomats killed by Armenian groups from 1973-86

ANKARA 

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

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

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

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

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

Victims of terror

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

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

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