Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing

Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing
Location	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Coordinates	37°50′18″S 144°59′18″E / 37.83826°S 144.98827°E / -37.83826; 144.98827Coordinates: 37°50′18″S 144°59′18″E / 37.83826°S 144.98827°E / -37.83826; 144.98827
Date	23 November 1986 2.16 a.m. (AEST)
Target	Turkish Consulate
Attack type	car bombing
Weapons	4 kg bomb device
Deaths	1 (one perpetrator)
Perpetrators	Hagop Levonian (killed) Levon Demirian
No. of participants	2

Part of a series on Terrorism in Australia

Notable attacks

Sydney Yugoslav General Trade and Tourist Agency bombing (1972) Sydney Hilton bombing (1978) Sydney Israeli consulate and Hakoah Club bombings (1982) Turkish consulate bombing (1986) French consulate bombing (1995) Endeavour Hills stabbings (2014) Parramatta shooting (2015)

Notable plots

Sydney terrorism plot (2005) Holsworthy Barracks terror plot (2009)

Counter-terrorism

Legislation Anti-terrorism legislation (2004) Anti-terrorism legislation (2005) Outlawed terror organisations Raids Counter-terrorism raids (2014)

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Terrorism in Australia

Legislation

Raids

The Melbourne Turkish consulate bombing was an attempt to bomb the Turkish Consulate in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on 23 November 1986. A car bomb exploded in the basement parking lot, killing Hagop Levonian, one of the bombers.

This was a second Armenian attack on Turkish diplomats and agencies in Australia. In 1980, in a local example of a much wider international campaign, two Turkish officials, the Turkish Consul-General in Sydney, Sarik Ariyak, and his 28-year-old bodyguard were gunned down by two people. The Justice Commandos for the Armenian Genocide claimed responsibility for the assassination and despite a $250,000 reward offer by the Turkish Embassy, no charges were laid and their assassins remained at large. Police said the attack was the result of a "long standing hatred against the Turkish people". In the 1970s and 1980s, Turkish diplomats were considered the second-greatest security risk worldwide, after Americans. Until 1986, 42 Turkish diplomats were killed by militants.

On 12 July 1983, ASIO intercepted JCAG member, Krikor Keverian, with four handguns in his baggage when returning from Los Angeles. On 14 July, another Armenian, Agop Magarditch, apparently panicking after hearing of Keverian's arrest, reported weapons in a shipment of furniture and personal items en route to him from Los Angeles. The shipment was intercepted and a sub-machinegun, five pistols and ammunition were found, with information on how to carry out an assassination. ASIO believes that this delayed the consulate attack for three years.

The federal police had the consulate, on the first floor, under 24-hour surveillance since the 1980 assassination of the Turkish consul, but the guard was withdrawn in 1985.

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