3439) Intra-Or International Violence? The Origins Of Armenian Terrorism

Christopher GUNN
Ph.D. Candidate
Florida State University
Antalya International University

Review of Armenian Studies
No. 25, 2012

- An older and shorter version of this paper was presented at the University of Padua Conference, on July 1-3, 2010.

Abstract: The violent re-emergence of the “Armenian Question” more than 50 years after being internationally settled by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, has conveniently been placed in a narrative that proves continuity in the Armenians’ struggle against the Turkish government. It is attributed to a series of specific events that triggered the Armenian violence and a number of more general factors that facilitated its emergence. This narrative, however, is flawed. This paper suggests that the origins of the radicalization of Armenian youth groups in the early 1970s was not a product of a century-old vendetta against the Turks, but resulted from an internal struggle for power and influence within the Armenian community. We also argue that this intra-Armenian violence, which began in Beirut, Lebanon and then spread internationally, has largely been overlooked by historians.

Keywords: Armenian Question, ASALA, JCAG, terrorism . . .




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Comments by Sukru Aya

Thanks to Mr. Gunn for this research and explaining the difference, competition and activities of terror of ASALA and JCAG. Equally interesting is their place of birth, Lebanon, Ebu Nidal etc.

Those who have seen documentary video: http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2007/08/1859-video-nbc-special-armenian.html will now understand why Nurat Topalian referred in his interrogation to "receipts of collections made for the terrorists trained in Lebanon" and which were kept in the warehouse together with a large stock of dynamites. They were found just before they were about the explode by expiration.

Excellent documentary; it tis up with Mr. Gunn's paper.
Compliments.

Sukru S. Aya

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