Assassination of Galip Balkar
Assassination
Two Armenian gunmen opened fire with small firearms[2] at the ambassador's car, which stopped for a red light at a major downtown intersection in Belgrade.[2] Balkar, 47, and his chauffeur Kaya Necet were wounded, the condition of the ambassador being critical.[2] The two assailants then attempted to run away from the scene, and killed a Yugoslav student, Željko Milivojević, who tried to prevent their escape.[3] Two Yugoslav security agents in the area chased them and shots were exchanged.[2] The gunmen wounded one of the agents, Slobodan Brajević. Another shot aimed at Brajević had ricocheted off a wall and slightly wounded an office worker, Zorica Solotić.[4]
The attackers were arrested and identified as Harutyun Krikor Levonian and Alexander Elbekyan.[3] They had arrived in Yugoslavia from Beirut on 6–7 March and both held Lebanese passports.[4] Levonian, seriously wounded, was caught shortly after the attack, and Elbekyan eight hours later. The same day, an anonymous caller to The Associated Press in Athens took responsibility for the attack on behalf of the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide a militant organization that was blamed for at least a dozen attacks on Turkish targets from 1975 to 1987.[2] Callers to other news outlets in Paris and Beirut also said the Justice Commandos had carried out the assault. The messages said the shooting was intended to draw the world's attention to what the group called "the national problem of the Armenian people."[2]
Galip Balkar died on 11 March
Balkar's death brought to 26 the number of Turks slain in the previous 10 years. More than 300 people had been wounded and 35 others killed since the mid-70s. Only days prior to the shooting,
On March 17, 1983, by order of the Presidency of Yugoslavia, Galip Balkar was posthumously awarded the Order of the Yugoslav Flag with Ribbon. The decision to award the decoration stated that "Ambassador Balkar, in his short diplomatic mission to Yugoslavia, made an important contribution to the development and advancement of friendly relations between Turkey and Yugoslavia."[7]
Trial and sentence
The Belgrade
Levonian and Elbekian were sentenced to 20 years of
According to a statement from the "Central Committee of Solidarity with Armenian Prisoners" in Athens, Harutyun Levonian was released by the Yugoslav authorities in June 1987. Although the statement did not elaborate on the reasons for his release, officials in the Greek capital had hinted that he might have been released on medical grounds: he was wounded when security guards returned the fire and subsequently became paralyzed after a stroke.[9] He now lives in Yerevan under the name of Antranik Boghossian.[10]
See also
References
- ISBN 1-56806-864-6. Aug 1989, p. 53
- ^ a b c d e f Gunmen Wound Turkish Envoy to Belgrade. The Washington Post. March 10, 1983, Thursday, Final Edition
- ^ a b c Assassins of Turkish ambassador indicted. Yuqoslav News Agency. September 14, 1983, Wednesday
- ^ a b c d e Assassination of Turkish Ambassador to Yugoslavia. BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. March 14, 1983, Saturday
- ^ Turk Dies in Belgrade; Two Gunmen Held Archived 2019-04-25 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times. March 12, 1983
- ^ a b Turks Ask for Help in Fighting Armenian Attacks Archived 2019-04-25 at the Wayback Machine. The New York Times. April 17, 1983, Sunday, Late City Final Edition
- ^ Yugoslavia's posthumous award for Turkish Ambassador. BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. March 19, 1983, Saturday
- ^ Armenian defendants appeal to Serbian Supreme Court. BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. October 5, 1984, Friday
- ^ Killer of Turkish Ambassador reported freed in Yugoslavia. BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. June 6, 1987, Saturday
- ISBN 978-0190904784.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link