Thirty years ago, on 27 July 1983, the Turkish Embassy in Lisbon was attacked by a group of Armenian terrorists designating themselves as members of “Armenian Revolutionary Army”. Five Armenian terrorist were involved in the attack to occupy the embassy. One of them was killed at the outset in the clash with the securıty guards. A Portuguese security was also killed and another wounded. The remaining four Armenian terrorists could enter the building where they took as hostage the wife of the counselor of the embassy, a remarkable lady, Cahide. The terrorists started laying bombs to the quarter they occupied. Lady Cahide, for the sake of containing the blow with a view to saving her husband and son, also in the building, detonated one of the bombs at the expense of her life, taking with her also the four Armenian terrorists. It is an honor to bow at the memory of the martyrdom of Mrs. Cahide Mıhçıoğlu with deep respect and esteem.

Acts of terrorism, unfortunately, have continued to be employed even at a larger scale, as is to be witnessed at the current times, by different groups for various aims, irrespective of the inhuman nature of those acts. Although the civilized world is unanimous in deploring, condemning and rejecting these acts, no international consensus has been reached to its definition nor on procedure for its prevention. The absence of binding rules and procedure, even more ominously, provide a fertile ground to enticing and encouraging the perpetration of acts of terrorism. A recent, horrifying testament to such practice is witnessed in the attempts to legitimize and even to glorify the terrorist attack against the Turkish Embassy in Lisbon by five Armenian terrorists with the organization of commemorative meetings at its anniversary by Armenian communities. Armenian press agencies report that such commemorative meetings have been held in the USA, in the state of California as well as in Chicago and New York.

The news and comments of the Armenian press address the five Armenian terrorists as “heroes of Lisbon” and what they did against Turkey has become an inspiration and guide for the “liberation” of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to statements in the Armenian press agencies, those “heroic acts” have kept the Armenian aspirations alive and that every Armenian should question oneself, in reflection of the act of the five, whether one does the utmost for the advancement of the Armenian cause. A call is also made for the new, younger generation to embody the legacy of the five as to their commitment, dedication and sacrifice. The call voiced at the meetings was that the commitment to struggle ought to be beyond the ceremonious, the routine and the pro-forma.

Turkey is a country that has suffered enormously from the scourge of terrorism, including Armenian terrorism. The memories and wounds of Armenian terrorism are still fresh and hurting. Turkey is fully cognizant of the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and is a strong proponent of such cooperation. That is a double why Turkey finds the attempts to legitimize the acts of terror and their presentation as acts of heroism, obvious enticement to committing such acts, not only unacceptable but also inhuman. The glorification of terrorism, this time, is not done behind closed doors or confidential sermons but openly, by means of press statements. Whether legal steps will be initiated by the relevant host countries to such open incitement to crime and commendation of terrorism will prove to be a test of principles and sincerity for the concerned states.