User:NBUPolSci F100950/Assassination in Burgas (1982)

On Septemer 9, 1982, at 2:30 p.m, Vice Consul Bora Suelkan of the Condulater General of Turkey in Burgas was assassinated by Armenian terrorists (from the group  Avengers for the Armenian Genocide  - JISAG, affiliated with the organization  Revenge for the Armenian Genocide  - ASALA) in front of his apartment (in block 1,  Slaveykov  district) i Burgas.

The Bulgarian State Security found that the vice-consul had become depressed shortly before his assassination and was afraid of an assassination attempt; it is also reported that the diplomat had close ties with MIT intelligence officers who were working under diplomatic cover at the consulate. On their orders, he had established contacts with Turkish merchants, suspected of smuggling activities, with terrorists and smugglers of Armenian origin. He met the merchant Armen Hambaryan, living in Swizterland, wgo was in business relations with Bulgarian foreign trade enterprises and often came to Bulgaria. Hambaryan was interested in how the psysical safety of the people from the Turkish consulate in Burgas was ensured, what measures were taken for their security abd whether they were armed.

Witnesses and eyewitnesses to the crime gave the following description of the terrorist: male, abot 20-25 years old, height up to 180 cm, athletic build, oblong face, black, slightly curly hair, swarthy. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ot 8 September, a person with similar featured was found to have been sitting on a bench in the garden in front of the diplomat's home and watching the entrance. At the scene of the crime in the Slaveikov district were found one 9 mm gun, brand  Star , 4 catridges cases, a medical glove and a piece of 49/23,5 mm cloth, on which was written in English in felt tip pen: '' We murdered the Turkish diplomat. Armenian commandos from the Justice Against the Armenian Genocide organization ''. On September 10, workers at the  Cleanliness  enterprise found and handed over to the police a gun loaded with 8 patrons, dumped in a waste bin in front of block 41 in district  Izgrev or Sunrise , which is located about 800 meters from the scene of the crime.

The killer and possible accomplices have not been apprehended. This is not an isolated attack, as several assassinations of Turkish diplomats were carried out in Western Europe, the United States of America and Cnada at the same time. This is the first time such a serios crume has been commited against a foreign diplomat in Bulgaria.