Gourgen Yanikian
Encyclopedia
Gourgen Mkrtich Yanikian ' onMouseout='HidePop("48272")' href="/topics/Erzurum">Erzurum
, Ottoman Empire
– February 26, 1984, USA
) was an America
n-Armenian author, engineer
and an Armenian Genocide
survivor, who assassinated
two Turkish
consular officials (Los Angeles Consul General Mehmet Baydar and Consul Bahadır Demir) in California
in 1973.
. He oversaw the building of a railroad across Iran during the Second World War, as part of Allied efforts there. He emigrated to the United States
in 1946, where he wrote several novels including , Harem Cross (1953) and The Voice of an American (1960).
On January 27, 1973, in the Biltmore Hotel, 77-year old immigrant Yanikian had lured a consul general and vice-consul of the Republic of Turkey, who expected to receive gifts of art treasures for their government, but instead Yanikian pulled a Luger pistol from a hollowed-out book and emptied it at them. He called the reception desk, said he killed "two evils", then sat calmly on the patio awaiting arrest. His stated purpose was "to demand justice" for the Armenian Genocide
.
Yanikian phoned the front desk of the hotel from his room and requested that a Sheriff be contacted, because "I have just killed two men." Early reports suggested that Yanikian had been involved in an argument with the two men, whom he did not know. Yanikian was known to have said in an interview in 1966 that 26 members of his family had been killed in the Armenian Genocide from 1915 onward. The Turkish Embassy reacted to the killings by calling on the United States to take action to protect its nationals, and the American Ambassador condemned the killings and stated that he and all Americans were "shocked at this senseless act of violence".
Yanikian would come to plead not guilty to two charges of First Degree Murder. Although over the course of the trial he would openly concede that he had caused the deaths of the men, he insisted that he was not guilty of any crime. In an interview with reporters in a court anteroom he slammed his hands down on the table and declared that other people "have had their Nuremberg
but we have not." Yanikian's defense counsel had attempted to bring in survivors of the Armenian Genocide to testify as to the trauma of the experiences, as part of the defense strategy of depicting Yanikian as having "diminished mental capacity", but these motions were denied in court. Yanikian was sentenced to life in prison on July 2, 1973; several members of the jury were reported to have had tears in their eyes as the verdict was read.
Armenians hoped Yanikian's trial would provide a vehicle for proving the massacres in a court of law, while there were still surviving witnesses but the District Attorney didn't agree. Yanikian took the only Armenian Genocide
witness stand, accompanied by his friend and interpreter, Santa Barbara
n Aram Saroyan, the uncle of famous author William Saroyan
. Yanikian told of his 26 family members killed in the massacres, and how he watched in hiding as marauding Turks slit his brother's throat. He concluded by saying that he killed the Turkish diplomats as representatives of the "government that had massacred his people". He was sentenced to life in prison in July 1973 and paroled in 1984, despite objections from the Turkish government. Two months later, Gourgen Yanikian was dead of natural causes. He was 88 years old.
Upon Yanikian's death, one of his attorneys, Bill Paparian
, said that he "is now a piece of Armenian history." After Yanikian's death, District Attorney David D. Minner wrote: "Looking back, I regret that I did not allow the genocide to be proven. Not because Yanikian should have gone free, but because history's darkest chapters — its genocides — should be exposed, so their horrors are less likely to be repeated".
Yanikian would later be appropriated by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
as an iconic figure. At the beginning, it bore the name of "The Prisoner Kurken Yanikian Group". Because of this association, Yanikian's slayings have been characterized as "the opening salvo" of the armed attacks against the Turkish government and its agents.
According to Khachig Tololyan,
's "Liberation Movements" dedicated to Yanikian's person:
Margaret Bedrosian, in "The Magical Pine Ring", calls Yanikian "the alter ego of all Armenians who have wanted to bare the lie".
Erzurum
Erzurum is a city in Turkey. It is the largest city, the capital of Erzurum Province. The city is situated 1757 meters above sea level. Erzurum had a population of 361,235 in the 2000 census. .Erzurum, known as "The Rock" in NATO code, served as NATO's southeastern-most air force post during the...
, Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
– February 26, 1984, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) was an America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
n-Armenian author, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and an Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
survivor, who assassinated
1973 Baltimore Hotel attack
The 1973 Baltimore Hotel attack was the January 27, 1973 killing of Mehmet Baydar and Bahadir Demir, two officials of the Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles, California by a 78-year-old Armenian American Gourgen Yanikian....
two Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
consular officials (Los Angeles Consul General Mehmet Baydar and Consul Bahadır Demir) in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1973.
Biography
Yanikian studied as an engineer at the University of MoscowMoscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
. He oversaw the building of a railroad across Iran during the Second World War, as part of Allied efforts there. He emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1946, where he wrote several novels including , Harem Cross (1953) and The Voice of an American (1960).
On January 27, 1973, in the Biltmore Hotel, 77-year old immigrant Yanikian had lured a consul general and vice-consul of the Republic of Turkey, who expected to receive gifts of art treasures for their government, but instead Yanikian pulled a Luger pistol from a hollowed-out book and emptied it at them. He called the reception desk, said he killed "two evils", then sat calmly on the patio awaiting arrest. His stated purpose was "to demand justice" for the Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
.
Yanikian phoned the front desk of the hotel from his room and requested that a Sheriff be contacted, because "I have just killed two men." Early reports suggested that Yanikian had been involved in an argument with the two men, whom he did not know. Yanikian was known to have said in an interview in 1966 that 26 members of his family had been killed in the Armenian Genocide from 1915 onward. The Turkish Embassy reacted to the killings by calling on the United States to take action to protect its nationals, and the American Ambassador condemned the killings and stated that he and all Americans were "shocked at this senseless act of violence".
Yanikian would come to plead not guilty to two charges of First Degree Murder. Although over the course of the trial he would openly concede that he had caused the deaths of the men, he insisted that he was not guilty of any crime. In an interview with reporters in a court anteroom he slammed his hands down on the table and declared that other people "have had their Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
but we have not." Yanikian's defense counsel had attempted to bring in survivors of the Armenian Genocide to testify as to the trauma of the experiences, as part of the defense strategy of depicting Yanikian as having "diminished mental capacity", but these motions were denied in court. Yanikian was sentenced to life in prison on July 2, 1973; several members of the jury were reported to have had tears in their eyes as the verdict was read.
Armenians hoped Yanikian's trial would provide a vehicle for proving the massacres in a court of law, while there were still surviving witnesses but the District Attorney didn't agree. Yanikian took the only Armenian Genocide
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
witness stand, accompanied by his friend and interpreter, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
n Aram Saroyan, the uncle of famous author William Saroyan
William Saroyan
William Saroyan was an Armenian American dramatist and author. The setting of many of his stories and plays is the center of Armenian-American life in California in his native Fresno.-Early years:...
. Yanikian told of his 26 family members killed in the massacres, and how he watched in hiding as marauding Turks slit his brother's throat. He concluded by saying that he killed the Turkish diplomats as representatives of the "government that had massacred his people". He was sentenced to life in prison in July 1973 and paroled in 1984, despite objections from the Turkish government. Two months later, Gourgen Yanikian was dead of natural causes. He was 88 years old.
Legacy
He is known to say, "I’m not Gourgen M. Yanikian but unacknowledged history coming back for the 1,500,000 Armenians whose bones desecrate my invisible existence..." In death, Yanikian became a symbol to many Armenians of their resentment toward the Turkish government for refusing to acknowledge the Armenian genocide.Upon Yanikian's death, one of his attorneys, Bill Paparian
Bill Paparian
Bill Paparian is an American politician, a former mayor of Pasadena, California, serving from 1995 to 1997. He was also a member of the Pasadena City Council from 1987 to 1999, and a Green Party candidate for Congress in 2006. He was the first Armenian-American mayor of Pasadena, as well as the...
, said that he "is now a piece of Armenian history." After Yanikian's death, District Attorney David D. Minner wrote: "Looking back, I regret that I did not allow the genocide to be proven. Not because Yanikian should have gone free, but because history's darkest chapters — its genocides — should be exposed, so their horrors are less likely to be repeated".
Yanikian would later be appropriated by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia
The Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia or ASALA was an Armenian nationalist militant organization, that operated from 1975 to 1986. The group also operated under other names such as The Orly Group and the 3 October Organization...
as an iconic figure. At the beginning, it bore the name of "The Prisoner Kurken Yanikian Group". Because of this association, Yanikian's slayings have been characterized as "the opening salvo" of the armed attacks against the Turkish government and its agents.
According to Khachig Tololyan,
Art
There is a conversation between the Brano and Gavra from Olen SteinhauerOlen Steinhauer
Olen Steinhauer is an American novelist who authored The Tourist, a New York Times Best Seller.- Life :Steinhauer was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and grew up in Virginia. He attended university at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and The University of Texas, Austin...
's "Liberation Movements" dedicated to Yanikian's person:
- "Who's Gourgen Yanikian?" Gavra asked.
- "American citizen, Armenian descent. Two years ago he invited the Turkish consul general and the consul to lunch at the Baltimore Hotel in Santa Barbara, California. He shot them both with a Luger. Killed them."
Margaret Bedrosian, in "The Magical Pine Ring", calls Yanikian "the alter ego of all Armenians who have wanted to bare the lie".