Artin Penik

Artin Penik (* 1921 ; † August 15, 1982 in Istanbul ) was a Christian Turk of Armenian origin and a tailor by trade .

In protest against the terror of the Asala , an underground terrorist organization with roots in the Armenian diaspora , Penik burned himself to death on August 10, 1982 in front of the French consulate on busy Taksim Square in central Istanbul. Five days later, he died of severe burn injuries in an Istanbul hospital.

Cause of his self-immolation

Before his act, he left a letter of protest and later gave bedside interviews in which he justified his self-immolation : He was no longer able to endure his “grief over the slaughter of innocent victims”. The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople , Chenork Kaloustian , who visited the seriously injured Artin Penik in the hospital and gave him the sacraments, described him as "a symbol of Armenian displeasure towards these brutal killers".

The current reason for his self-immolation was a bloody attack by the Asala on August 7, 1982 on Ankara airport. The attack killed twelve people and injured 78 others. Asala supporters had fired assault rifles into a crowded waiting room and threw hand grenades . Two of the terrorists were shot dead by security forces. A third, Levon Ekmekçiyan , was arrested. Ekmekçiyan was sentenced to death and executed on January 29, 1983.

After the self-immolation

His fate shook the public and led to a wave of solidarity between the Armenian and Turkish citizens of Turkey, as well as nationwide joint demonstrations against the terror of the Asala. At his funeral, which was also attended by government officials, hundreds of thousands of Turkish and Armenian mourners filled the streets of Kumkapı , an Armenian district in Istanbul, where the Surp Asdvadzadzin patriarchal church is located, where the funeral service was held.

Web links

• Turkish Journal: report and Peniks suicide note (English)
• An Armenian Myth: LETTER OF ARTIN PENIK, visited on November 15, 2007 (English)