Armenians Give Up After Siege at Turkish Embassy

OTTAWA — Three Armenian gunmen shot their way into the Turkish Embassy today, killing a security guard and seizing hostages before they surrendered to police and freed their captives four hours later, officials said.

Ambassador Coskun Kirca, 58, who may have broken an arm and a leg when he either fell or was pushed from the building, was rushed away in an ambulance and police said about 12 hostages were taken out of the embassy.

Canadian External Affairs Minister Joe Clark said members of Kirca’s family had been among the hostages. Kirca was previously Turkey’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Door Blown Up

“The embassy has been secured and we have three people in custody,” said Inspector Wilfred Longchamps, who headed the joint operation between the Ottawa police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after the gunmen blew up the front door of the embassy and shot their way in.

None of the 12 hostages taken out after the surrender were injured and the gunmen surrendered peacefully, Longchamps said.

Kirca “either jumped from a window or was pushed, at this point we don’t know,” Longchamps said. “He appears to have a broken leg and arm.”

Police Inspector Dan McFaul said the security guard, a Canadian employed by Pinkerton’s, was killed in the assault. He was not immediately identified.

The security guard lay outside the building and Kirca lay beside the embassy for several hours after the incident began, shortly after 7 a.m.

Demand Land Back

The Armenians were demanding that Turkey give up Armenian land and acknowledge that it killed millions of Armenians in World War I.

Police Staff Sgt. Garry Rae said two armed men walked up to the front door of the embassy, where they were confronted by a security guard. Shots were fired before the front door of the embassy was blown off with explosives, he said.

A resident who asked not to be identified said he was awakened by an explosion at the two-story building just 1 1/2 miles from Parliament Hill, seat of the Canadian government.

The gunmen phoned a number of news organizations and said they were from the Armenian Revolutionary Army.

“We want our lands back and we want the Turkish government to recognize the Armenian genocide in 1915,” one said in a call to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

Scores of Turks have been attacked during the past decade, with Armenians usually claiming responsibility.