Attempted assassination of Abdul Hamid II

The attempted assassination of Abdul Hamid II, also known as Operation Nejuik or the Yıldız attack, was an action carried out on 21 July 1905 by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and anarchist militants against Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The attack was perceived as an act of retribution against the main instigator of the Hamidian massacres (1894–1896), which caused the deaths of 100,000 to 300,000 Armenians. The increasingly unstable situation of the Ottoman Empire, particularly for ethnic and religious minorities who were discriminated against and persecuted, drove them to radicalize progressively. This trend was further facilitated by the introduction of socialism and anarchism into the Ottoman cultural sphere. After a gradual progression in their radicalization, the ARF members decided to assassinate the Sultan, entrusting the organization of the project to their founder and principal theorist, Christapor Mikaelian.

Assisted by Sophie Areshian, Martiros Margarian, Ardaches Seremdjian, Garabed Yeghiguian, the Belgian anarchist couple Anna Nellens-Edward Joris, and the German revolutionary Marie Seitz, Christapor Mikaelian orchestrated the attempt. However, he died while preparing explosives for the project in Bulgaria, which caused significant conflicts within the group and led to a change in strategy. The new approach was deadlier and less certain to kill their target but ensured the safety of the revolutionaries.

The attack was carried out on 21 July 1905 in front of the Yıldız Mosque. The group brought a cart loaded with melinite to the mosque, with Areshian setting the bomb’s timer to explode as the Sultan exited. The attempt failed, not only because it killed 21 people and injured 58 others, but also because Abdul Hamid II emerged completely unscathed.

After the attack, Edward Joris was arrested and sentenced to death, sparking a significant protest movement in Western Europe that ultimately led to his release. The ARF emerged from the attempt with the loss of Mikaelian and a major failure. Many questions remain about the operation.