Embassy of Turkey in Ottawa
Encyclopedia
The Embassy of the Turkey in Ottawa
is Turkey
's diplomatic mission to Canada
. It is housed in a sprawling Tudor style manor located at 197 Wurtemburg Street overlooking the Rideau River
. The building was built by Fisheries Commissioner William F. Whitcher in about 1869. In 1888 it was expanded and housed the Ottawa Children's Hospital, and remained a hospital until 1908. In 1953 it became home to the Turkish embassy.
paramilitary groups. On April 8, 1982 Kani Gungor, the embassy's commercial attaché, was shot in the parking garage of his residence and left permanently paralyzed. Harout Kevork, Raffic Balian and the 17-year old Haig Gharakhanian were arrested two years later for the crime.
Several months later on August 23 Col. Atilla Altıkat
, the military attaché, was assassinated while driving to work. Both attacks were attributed to Justice Commandos Against Armenian Genocide
. On the early morning of March 12, 1985 the Turkish Embassy building was attacked
- a van pulled up outside the embassy. The three occupants climbed on to the roof of the van and then jumped over the wall of the embassy. The three men, members of the Armenian Revolutionary Army
, were armed with shotgun
s and grenade
s. The embassy was guarded by a private security guard, Claude Brunelle, who confronted the assailants. He fired four shots but hit no one. He was hit in the chest and killed. The assailants detonated a bomb at the entrance of the building, and then entered the structure. The ambassador at the time, Coskun Kirca
, fearing he was their target jumped from a second story window breaking a number of bones. The Armenians succeeding in taking twelve staff members hostage. Police response was swift and the building was soon surrounded. The assailants threatened a long siege but gave themselves up after four hours.
After these incidents the Turks planned to leave their heritage structure for a more secure facility, but these plans have now been abandoned and major renovations to the embassy have just recently been completed.
On February 17, 1999 the embassy was again hit by violence. A riot by some 300 Kurdish
nationalists resulted from the arrest of Abdullah Öcalan
. Chunks of ice were thrown at the embassy and police, as were Molotov Cocktail
s. These set one embassy office alight and the uniform of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) officer also caught fire. Both blazes were soon put out and no one was seriously injured. Several of the protesters were arrested.
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...
is Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's diplomatic mission to 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...
. It is housed in a sprawling Tudor style manor located at 197 Wurtemburg Street overlooking the Rideau River
Rideau River
thumb|Rapids on the Rideau River opposite [[Carleton University]].The Rideau River is a Southern Ontario river which flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 km...
. The building was built by Fisheries Commissioner William F. Whitcher in about 1869. In 1888 it was expanded and housed the Ottawa Children's Hospital, and remained a hospital until 1908. In 1953 it became home to the Turkish embassy.
Incidents
The Turkish embassy has been the site of a number of incidents. In the 1970s and 1980s Canada was home to several ArmenianArmenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
paramilitary groups. On April 8, 1982 Kani Gungor, the embassy's commercial attaché, was shot in the parking garage of his residence and left permanently paralyzed. Harout Kevork, Raffic Balian and the 17-year old Haig Gharakhanian were arrested two years later for the crime.
Several months later on August 23 Col. Atilla Altıkat
Atilla Altikat
Colonel Atilla Altikat was the Turkish military attaché to Ottawa, Canada, who was assassinated in 1982. The Armenian 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...
, the military attaché, was assassinated while driving to work. Both attacks were attributed to 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...
. On the early morning of March 12, 1985 the Turkish Embassy building was attacked
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...
- a van pulled up outside the embassy. The three occupants climbed on to the roof of the van and then jumped over the wall of the embassy. The three men, members of the Armenian Revolutionary Army
Armenian 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...
, were armed with shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s and grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
s. The embassy was guarded by a private security guard, Claude Brunelle, who confronted the assailants. He fired four shots but hit no one. He was hit in the chest and killed. The assailants detonated a bomb at the entrance of the building, and then entered the structure. The ambassador at the time, Coskun Kirca
Coskun Kirca
Coşkun Kırca was a Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1995. He was a member of the True Path Party.-Biography:...
, fearing he was their target jumped from a second story window breaking a number of bones. The Armenians succeeding in taking twelve staff members hostage. Police response was swift and the building was soon surrounded. The assailants threatened a long siege but gave themselves up after four hours.
After these incidents the Turks planned to leave their heritage structure for a more secure facility, but these plans have now been abandoned and major renovations to the embassy have just recently been completed.
On February 17, 1999 the embassy was again hit by violence. A riot by some 300 Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
nationalists resulted from the arrest of Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan , Kurdish founder of the terrorist organization called Kurdistan Workers' Party in 1978.Öcalan was captured in Nairobi and extradited to the Turkish security force, and sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed gangs...
. Chunks of ice were thrown at the embassy and police, as were Molotov Cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
s. These set one embassy office alight and the uniform of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) officer also caught fire. Both blazes were soon put out and no one was seriously injured. Several of the protesters were arrested.