Who founded the Asala terrorist organization?

The organization was founded in 1975 in the city of Beirut during the Lebanese civil war by Agop Agopian, Kevork Acemyan and James Kamusyan. Agopian assumed the main leadership of the organization.

Harutyun Tokashian or by his pseudonym Hagop Hagopian; (1951, Mosul, Iraq - 28 April 1988, Athens, Greece), the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Illegal Armenia, or ASALA in colloquial short name, was one of its founders and leader. He was born in 1951 in Mosul, Iraq as Harutyun Tokasyan. He took the pseudonym Hagop Hagopian and immigrated to Lebanon. Hagopian, who received training in various political and armed organizations during his time in Lebanon, founded ASALA in Beirut in 1975 with James Karnusyan and Kevork Acemyan.

Hayastani Azatagrut'yan Hay Gaghtni Banak or with his full name Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, leftist and ultra-nationalist who carried out bombing and armed actions against Turkish and other civilian, civilian, and diplomatic targets in 16 different countries, including Turkey, between 1975 and 1994. armed organization.

The organization, which took responsibility for more than 50 bomb attacks in various parts of the world, is described as a 'terrorist organization' in some sources. It was also on the US terrorist organization list in 1980-1990. Inactive after 1985, ASALA is included in the USA's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2001, the US Terrorist Exclusion List, and the UK's UK Proscribed Group list.

Although ASALA says it aims to establish a democratic, socialist and free Armenia, it has only been able to become a terrorist organization with its actions. In addition, since the activities of the organization are mostly directed against people of Turkish ethnic origin, the organization is mostly known for its hostility towards Turks.

ASALA has been involved in many large-scale terrorist acts. One of the biggest acts of the organization was the bombing it carried out at Ankara Esenboğa Airport on August 7, 1982. In the action, 9 people lost their lives and 73 people were injured. 7 of the deceased were Turkish, 3 of whom were police officers, and 2 of them were tourists. One of the two terrorists who carried out the action was captured, one dead and one injured. The surviving terrorist Ekmekçiyan was sentenced to death in a single session by the court he was brought to.

In addition, the organization carried out an attack at Orly Airport in Paris in 1983 and bombed the THY office. In this attack, 8 people, including 2 Turks, lost their lives and 55 people, 28 of whom were Turks, were injured.

This action is the bloodiest action of the organization and in some sources it is said that the organization started to split after this action. The organization, which was implicitly supported by some major countries, lost the tolerance and even the hatred of many countries, especially France, after the action.

After the bloody Orly Attack in 1983, the organization did not engage in any large-scale action and began to split. In addition, the organization's entry into the terrorist list of countries such as the USA and the United Kingdom has also limited its range of action. After the Orly massacre, opposing ideas and divergences began to be experienced in the organization, so the actions began to pause. Later, when the leader of the organization, Agop Agopian, was killed in Athens in 1988, the organization entered the process of disintegration and disappeared over time.