1983 Turkish embassy attack in Lisbon
Encyclopedia
The 1983 Turkish embassy attack was an attack on the Turkish
embassy in Lisbon
on 27 July 1983, which resulted in death of 7 people, including all 5 attackers.
security guard because it had been there the day before. On that occasion, two men who arrived in the car were challenged by the Ambassador's bodyguard, and said they had come for visas, but when asked to produce their passports, they left hurriedly.
Because of this incident, the Turkish Embassy requested extra police protection from the Portuguese authorities, and one additional policeman was stationed on the road outside on the day of attack.
As Portuguese policemen hurried toward the scene, four other intruders, failing to gain entry to the embassy building, raced into the adjacent ambassador's residence and seized its only occupants, Cahide Mihçioĝlu, 42, the wife of the embassy's chargé d'affaires
, and her son Atasay, 17. The gunmen held the hostages in a room around which they had planted plastic explosives. They threatened to blow up the building, if police tried to storm it.
A force of some 170 riot policemen surrounded the building, cordoning off the area and hiding behind cars and trees to avoid sporadic gunfire from within. The Portuguese Cabinet under the Prime Minister
Mario Soares
went into an emergency session during the siege and decided to use for the first time the newly formed British-trained elite police detachment, the Grupo de Operações Especiais
.
However before the special forces could start the operation, the militants detonated a bomb, setting the building ablaze. When anti-terrorist police stormed the building, it met no resistance and found six burned corpses. The dead included 4 militants, the Turkish diplomat's wife, and a Portuguese policeman, identified as Manuel Pacheco.
Officials suggested that unforeseen developments may have led the assailants to fear a major police intervention and caused them to prematurely detonate their explosives.
It turned out that the policeman, who was familiar with the embassy, had rushed to the scene after hearing about the attack over his radio, and climbed into the room where the gunmen were holding hostages. He was killed in explosion. About the same time, one of the hostages, 17-year old Atasay jumped through the first-floor window of the residence, but was wounded in the leg by militants as he fled. Escape of the hostage and interference of the policeman might have prompted the gunmen to detonate the explosion.
The Portuguese Interior Minister Eduardo Pereira said that "the terrorists clearly planned to occupy the embassy for a number of days, seizing a large number of hostages in order to make a major impact on public opinion." The police officials revealed that the two cars were filled with food and explosives, suggesting that the gunmen had laid in preparations for a long siege.
claimed responsibility for attack. ARA also claimed that the death of the attackers was a suicide mission. A type-written message signed by the Armenian Revolutionary Army delivered to The Associated Press office in Lisbon said: "We have decided to blow up this building and remain under the collapse. This is not suicide, nor an expression of insanity, but rather our sacrifice to the altar of freedom." The group said the attack had been carried out because "Turkey and its allies refused to acknowledge the genocide of Armenians".
The militants entered the country through Lisbon Airport as tourists bearing Lebanese
passports. They reserved hotel rooms from a public telex in Beirut
and rented three cars in Lisbon. From the documents found in the hotel rooms, the police identified the five as Setrak Ajamian, 19 years old; Ara Karvikian, 20; Sarkis Abrahamian, 21; Simon Yahniyan, 21, and Vache Daghlian, 19 (known in Armenian sources as "The Lisbon five"). They were buried in Beirut at the Armenian national cemetery in Bourj Hammoud
. Every year the Armenian community in Lebanon holds memorial services to commemorate their death.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
embassy in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
on 27 July 1983, which resulted in death of 7 people, including all 5 attackers.
Background
Witnesses said the gunmen arrived at about 10:30 a.m. on two Ford Escorts, a red one that remained out front and a white one that entered the driveway. The car aroused the suspicions of a PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
security guard because it had been there the day before. On that occasion, two men who arrived in the car were challenged by the Ambassador's bodyguard, and said they had come for visas, but when asked to produce their passports, they left hurriedly.
Because of this incident, the Turkish Embassy requested extra police protection from the Portuguese authorities, and one additional policeman was stationed on the road outside on the day of attack.
Attack
The Turkish bodyguard was alerted by the Portuguese policeman when the white car returned the next day. When he approached it, an armed man opened fire with a submachine-gun, wounding the policeman, and was in turn shot dead by the Turkish bodyguard.As Portuguese policemen hurried toward the scene, four other intruders, failing to gain entry to the embassy building, raced into the adjacent ambassador's residence and seized its only occupants, Cahide Mihçioĝlu, 42, the wife of the embassy's chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
, and her son Atasay, 17. The gunmen held the hostages in a room around which they had planted plastic explosives. They threatened to blow up the building, if police tried to storm it.
A force of some 170 riot policemen surrounded the building, cordoning off the area and hiding behind cars and trees to avoid sporadic gunfire from within. The Portuguese Cabinet under the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Portugal
Prime Minister is the current title of the chief of the Portuguese Government. As chief executive, the Prime Minister coordinates the action of ministers, representing the Government from the other organs of state, accountable to Parliament and keeps the President informed...
Mario Soares
Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...
went into an emergency session during the siege and decided to use for the first time the newly formed British-trained elite police detachment, the Grupo de Operações Especiais
Grupo de Operações Especiais (Portugal)
Grupo de Operações Especiais - GOE is the Portuguese PSP special operations unit, manned slightly over 200 elements....
.
However before the special forces could start the operation, the militants detonated a bomb, setting the building ablaze. When anti-terrorist police stormed the building, it met no resistance and found six burned corpses. The dead included 4 militants, the Turkish diplomat's wife, and a Portuguese policeman, identified as Manuel Pacheco.
Officials suggested that unforeseen developments may have led the assailants to fear a major police intervention and caused them to prematurely detonate their explosives.
It turned out that the policeman, who was familiar with the embassy, had rushed to the scene after hearing about the attack over his radio, and climbed into the room where the gunmen were holding hostages. He was killed in explosion. About the same time, one of the hostages, 17-year old Atasay jumped through the first-floor window of the residence, but was wounded in the leg by militants as he fled. Escape of the hostage and interference of the policeman might have prompted the gunmen to detonate the explosion.
The Portuguese Interior Minister Eduardo Pereira said that "the terrorists clearly planned to occupy the embassy for a number of days, seizing a large number of hostages in order to make a major impact on public opinion." The police officials revealed that the two cars were filled with food and explosives, suggesting that the gunmen had laid in preparations for a long siege.
Aftermath
The Armenian Revolutionary ArmyArmenian Revolutionary Army
The Armenian Revolutionary Army was a paramilitary organization, thought to be renamed from the group "Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide". ARA attacked at least 7 times resulting in at least 6 fatalities and 8 injuries; its last attack occurred in 1985...
claimed responsibility for attack. ARA also claimed that the death of the attackers was a suicide mission. A type-written message signed by the Armenian Revolutionary Army delivered to The Associated Press office in Lisbon said: "We have decided to blow up this building and remain under the collapse. This is not suicide, nor an expression of insanity, but rather our sacrifice to the altar of freedom." The group said the attack had been carried out because "Turkey and its allies refused to acknowledge the genocide of Armenians".
The militants entered the country through Lisbon Airport as tourists bearing Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
passports. They reserved hotel rooms from a public telex in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and rented three cars in Lisbon. From the documents found in the hotel rooms, the police identified the five as Setrak Ajamian, 19 years old; Ara Karvikian, 20; Sarkis Abrahamian, 21; Simon Yahniyan, 21, and Vache Daghlian, 19 (known in Armenian sources as "The Lisbon five"). They were buried in Beirut at the Armenian national cemetery in Bourj Hammoud
Bourj Hammoud
Bourj Hammoud is a suburb in North-East Beirut, Lebanon in the Metn district. The suburb is heavily populated by Armenians as it is where most survivors of the Armenian Genocide settled...
. Every year the Armenian community in Lebanon holds memorial services to commemorate their death.