Date 9 June 1977 Attack type ambush | Deaths 1 killed | |
Location Vicinity of Embassy of Republic of Turkey, Vatican Perpetrators 2 unidentified Armenian gunmen | ||
The assassination of Taha Carım, Turkish diplomat and ambassador to Vatican City took place on 9 June 1977 in Rome, Italy.
Contents
Background
The fatal attack on Carım took place two years after the assassination of a Turkish ambassador to Austria, Daniş Tunalıgil and assassination of a Turkish ambassador to France, Ismail Erez by Armenian militant organization JCAG. Taha Carım was serving as an Ambassador to Vatican since 2 November 1973. In March 1977, he was already threatened to be killed by Armenian militant groups. Due to earlier attacks on Turkish diplomats resulting in death, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to send security personnel to Turkish diplomatic missions abroad. Some time later, the Ambassador Carım requested the Italian police to lift the security service. Instead, he sufficed by obtaining a pistol to protect himself.
The attack
Carım was returning to his residence, and was shot by two unidentified gunmen from front and back having no chance of resistance. The responsibility was claimed by JCAG.
Legacy
In 2016, the papacy finally condemned of the 1977 assassination of Taha Carım in order to resolve a dispute with Turkey about the Armenian genocide.