Terrorial attack 41 years ago: Autobombe tore Vienna into the abyss!

Am 20. Juni 1985 detonierte eine Autobombe vor der türkischen Botschaft in Wien, was zu zahlreichen Opfern führte.
On June 20, 1985, a car bomb detonated in front of the Turkish embassy in Vienna, which led to numerous victims. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Terrorial attack 41 years ago: Autobombe tore Vienna into the abyss!

Wien, Österreich - On June 20, 2025, a tragic event in Vienna's history marks the 41st anniversary: ​​A car bomb exploded at the Turkish embassy parking lot. The attack, which occurred at 8:43 a.m., cost a diplomat life and seriously injured several other people, including a police group inspector. The bomb detonated when many passers -by were on the way to work, which only intensified chaos and destruction in the area. According to meinbezirk.at, the Attaché Erdogan Özen was surprised by the explosion and spent its end.

The explosion hurled the vehicle almost five meters and let the roof rip the roof on the floor. Another six people were seriously injured, including a 60-year-old police group inspector, half of which burned. Wreck parts of the bomb flew up to 30 meters, and numerous window panes in the area were broken.

background of the attack

The "Armenian Revolutionary Army" (ARA) confessed to this terrible attack. This organization, which was created in the 1970s, was a rival of the "Armenian secret army for the liberation of Armenia" (Asala), which was active in the same period and committed numerous other attacks on Turkish diplomats in Europe. The Asala has existed since 1975 and aimed to persuade Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide of 1915 and to recover a Armenian homeland. This cruel story comprises over 40 deadly attacks in which, according to the Turkish embassy in Vienna, a total of 77 people were killed, including 58 Turkish citizens and 31 diplomats.

The ARA committed several attacks on Turkish destinations until the mid -1980s. One of the more well -known attacks is the murdering access to the ambassador in Vienna in 1975 as well as other riots in 1984. The 1982 attack, which is remembered today, also stopped in the annals of shame. In the context of the perpetrators it should be mentioned that they have not been identified until today.

The aftermath

In recent years, the Turkish embassy in Vienna has organized ceremonies to commemorate the victims of these violent conflicts. Such memories are not only important for respectful use of the past, but also for the communication between the cultures concerned. The ARA and Asala, as are different as their motifs are, left a legacy of pain and grief.

The 1982 attack is not only part of the tragic history of Turkish diplomacy, but also a symbol of the tragedy that many Armenian families experienced during the genocide. In the context of international politics, the question of recognition and the wounds caused by the genocide remains relevant. The struggle for memory and reparation is far from over. It is worth thinking about what these events could mean for the future even today, 41 years later.

The ARA and Asala are still part of the discussion about national identities and ethnic conflicts. The challenges that result from such cruel deeds affect us all and ask us to actively promote dialogue and reconciliation.

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OrtWien, Österreich
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