Middle East Information Resource
Political Entities - ASALA
ASALA, or the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia, is an Armenian underground organization which was active in the 1970`s and 1980`s. They launched attacks on Turkish officials and installations abroad. ASALA was established in Beirut in 1975 by a young Armenian activist, Bedros Ohanessian ("Hagop Hagopian") from Mosul. It had a radical leftist-nationalist platform, and was committed to the establishment of Armenian rule in the historically Armenian areas of Anatolia. Through the use of violence, they hoped to focus world attention on the Armenian and to apply political pressure on Turkey. They wanted to force Turkey to take responsibility for the massacres committed during World War I. The Armenians made other demands, including material compensation to the victims and, eventual territorial concessions.
ASALA emerged as the strongest amongst all the Armenian underground organizations. It drew its supporters from the Armenian youth in Lebanon and other centers of the Armenian diaspora around the world. They cooperated closely with Lebanese and Palestinian organizations. ASALA was reportedly supported by Syria as another instrument of pressure on Turkey in their disputed relations. Because ASALA had no base in Turkey itself, it was forced to operate primarily outside the country. It concentrated on assaults on Turkish diplomats and official institutions for almost a decade. It was responsible for killing over thirty Turkish diplomats, wounding many more, and carrying out several attacks on Turkish missions and offices. By the mid 1980`s it became less prominent; it lost its base in Lebanon after 1982. Its operations were also curtailed due to internal power struggles, and opposition to its tactics from within the Armenian community.