Atilla Altikat
Encyclopedia
Colonel Atilla Altikat was the Turkish
military attaché
to Ottawa
, Canada
, who was assassinated in 1982. The Armenia
n group, Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
, claimed responsibility for the attack. The act was forcefully condemned by the Prime Minister of Canada
, Pierre Trudeau
.
Before being assigned to Ottawa in 1981, Altikat had been an officer in the Turkish air force. He was married and had two teenage children. Altikat was killed on his way to work at around 9:00 a.m. on August 23, 1982. When his car stopped for a red light on the Ottawa River Parkway
at Island Park Drive
, a car stopped nearby, a passenger got out and fired nine shots from a 9 mm Browning
handgun through the passenger window of the car, killing the diplomat instantly.
The attack was one in a series of attacks on Turkish diplomats around the world. On April 8, 1982, the Turkish Commercial Counselor in Ottawa, Kani Güngör, had been seriously injured in a failed assassination attempt. Two years later, a group of Armenian guerrillas attacked the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa
, killing a Canadian security guard and seriously injuring the ambassador. While those responsible for the other two attacks were caught and prosecuted, the killing of Altikat remains unsolved, despite the offer of a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, who was assassinated in 1982. The Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n group, Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
Justice Commandos against Armenian Genocide was a secret military organization that operated in various western nations from 1975 to 1987...
, claimed responsibility for the attack. The act was forcefully condemned by the Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
.
Before being assigned to Ottawa in 1981, Altikat had been an officer in the Turkish air force. He was married and had two teenage children. Altikat was killed on his way to work at around 9:00 a.m. on August 23, 1982. When his car stopped for a red light on the Ottawa River Parkway
Ottawa River Parkway
The Ottawa River Parkway is a four-lane scenic parkway along the Ottawa River in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from Carling Avenue near Connaught Avenue, to Booth Street at the Canadian War Museum. It is maintained by the National Capital Commission. The speed limit is , enforced by the Royal...
at Island Park Drive
Island Park Drive
Island Park Drive is a short, but important and scenic, north-south street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is one of several parkways in Ottawa administered by the National Capital Commission providing scenic routes throughout Canada's capital region....
, a car stopped nearby, a passenger got out and fired nine shots from a 9 mm Browning
Browning Arms Company
Browning Arms Company is a maker of firearms, bows and fishing gear. Founded in Utah in 1927, it offers a wide variety of firearms, including shotguns, rifles, pistols, and rimfire firearms and sport bows, as well as fishing rods and reels....
handgun through the passenger window of the car, killing the diplomat instantly.
The attack was one in a series of attacks on Turkish diplomats around the world. On April 8, 1982, the Turkish Commercial Counselor in Ottawa, Kani Güngör, had been seriously injured in a failed assassination attempt. Two years later, a group of Armenian guerrillas attacked the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa
1985 Turkish embassy attack in Ottawa
The 1985 Turkish embassy attack was an attack on the Turkish embassy in Ottawa, Canada, on March 12, 1985.-The attack:The storming of the embassy began shortly before 7 a.m., when three terrorists in a rented moving truck arrived at the embassy gate. They scaled the security gate and began shooting...
, killing a Canadian security guard and seriously injuring the ambassador. While those responsible for the other two attacks were caught and prosecuted, the killing of Altikat remains unsolved, despite the offer of a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
See also
- List of Turkish diplomats
- List of assassinated people from Turkey
- List of Turkish diplomats assassinated by Armenian Terrorist Organisations