Turkey pays tribute to diplomat slain by Armenian terror group in 1984

ANKARA

Turkey's Foreign Ministry paid tribute on Friday to one of its diplomats who was assassinated in Austria's capital Vienna by an Armenian terrorist group in 1984.

Evner Ergun, the then-deputy director of the UN Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, was murdered by the Armenian Revolutionary Army (ARA) terrorist group in his car.

"We remember with respect our martyr, Evner Ergun, Deputy Director of the United Nations Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, assassinated in a heinous attack by the Armenian terrorist organization ARA in Vienna on 19.11.1984," the ministry said in a statement.

The attack was one of many assassinations of Turkish diplomats and their families around the world by Armenian terror groups, including the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), Armenian Justice Commandos (JCAG), and Armenian Revolutionary Army (ARA).

Armenian terror campaign against Turkish diplomats

According to data compiled by Anadolu Agency, a total of 77 people -- 58 of them Turkish nationals, including 31 diplomats and members of their families -- lost their lives in attacks carried out by these terrorist groups from 1973 to 1986.

The terror campaign started in 1973 when Turkey's then-Consul General in Los Angeles Mehmet Baydar and diplomat Bahadir Demir were assassinated in an attack by a terrorist named Gourgen Yanikian.

The ASALA was the first Armenian terrorist group to launch a campaign against Turkey. It targeted not only Turkey but also other countries and became infamous for a 1975 bomb attack on the Beirut office of the World Council of Churches.

The JCAG initially gained notoriety after claiming responsibility with ASALA for the Oct. 22, 1975 attack on Danis Tunaligil, Turkey's then-ambassador in Vienna.

The ARA is considered to be a continuation of JCAG with a different name.​​​​​​​