Haig Tiriakian

Of Armenian descent, Haig (Hrach) Tiriakian was born in Trabzon, Ottoman Empire in 1871.

[2] The takeover was planned in order to raise further awareness and action by the major European powers.

Tiriakian eventually took part in the seizure along with other Armenian political activists such as Armen Garo and Papken Siuni.

The bombs were giving incredible results; they did not kill [the staff] instantly, but tore their flesh apart, and made them writhe with pain and agony.

We demanded that the Powers [European countries] fulfill our requests, that those who took part in this confrontation be freed; if not, we would blow up the bank along with ourselves.

[2] While in exile, Tiriakian attended the Second General Congress of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation held in 1898 in Tbilisi, Georgia which had him appointed the Responsible Body for the Cilicia region.