July 28, 1983
Yesterday's attack in Lisbon on the residence of the Turkish Ambassador to Portugal was only the
latest in a series of brutal and increasingly indiscriminate terrorist attacks against Turkish
diplomats and other innocent civilians. In yesterday's attack, for which the Revolutionary
Armenian Army claims responsibility, the wife of a senior Turkish diplomat was killed and a
young child was seriously wounded. Only 2 weeks earlier, a Turkish diplomat was murdered
outside his home in Brussels, and 1 day later 7 other individuals were killed as they waited to
board a Turkish airliner in Paris. No real or imagined grievance could possibly justify these
modern-day horrors.
On behalf of the people and Government of the United States, I extend the deepest sympathy to
the Turkish Government and to the families of the victims of this attack. But more than sympathy
is required. This senseless violence must cease. To that end, I will be speaking to other heads of
state in the days ahead regarding urgent and more effective cooperative measures to eliminate
from the civilized community such barbaric and inhuman acts.