Category: Main Issues

Giving an interview to Armenian pres, Director of Armenian Center for National and International Studies Richard Giragosian said that Armenia and Turkey will benefit opening of border. He said that diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia will be established after opening of state border.

He said that Obama has a shift in policy over recognizing so called “Armenian genocide” due to strategical importance of Turkey for plans of US on Iraq, Afghanistan and Middle East, even he pledged for recognition. He said that he does not believe that Obama will use the term “genocide” in his 24 April statement.

Commenting over decision of Turkey visit of U.S. President Barack Obama, Giragosian said that it means the recognition of Turkey’s increasing role in the region and its future position in international area by United States.

Replying a question whether he believes that Turkish-Armenian border will be opened in 2009, Armenian expert said that both countries have potential benefits from opening of borders. He said that opening of border will also cause economic growth of eastern region of Turkey which will help Turkey fighting against PKK terrorism.

An Azerbaijani member of parliament regards necessary to translate and publish historical documents in order international community to recognize the Azerbaijani Genocide committed by Armenians in Baku in 1918.

“The Extraordinary Investigation Commission which was formed in summer of 1918 gathered rare documents,” Doctor of Historical Sciences and neutral parliamentarian Jamil Hasanli told Trend News on March 29. “The March events in Baku were published as a collection of documents in the Russian language.”

On March 31, Azerbaijan marks the Day of Azerbaijani Genocide.

In March 1918, the Dashnak-Bolshevik government of Stepan Shaumyan seized the power and committed brutal genocide towards the Azerbaijani people. In March to April innocent Azerbaijanis were slaughtered in Baku, Shamakhi and other regions. In that period Turkey extended a helping hand to Azerbaijan and rescued the Azerbaijani population from being killed one and all by Armenians.

The 31st of March is the memory day of the tragic events in the history of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people which took place in the recent hundred years. The scandalous facts of massacre, repressions, eviction of Azerbaijanis from their native land may be considered one of the tragic pages in the world history of the 20th century. This tragic history of the Azerbaijani people reflects the Armenian chauvinism mad about creation of the Great Armenia and not disdaining to use any means to achieve the goal.

According to the decree signed by the Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev in 1998, March 31 shall be marked as the Day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis.

Hasanli said that the Emergency Situation Commission’s documents reflect witnesses’ testimonies, generalized reports and lawyer analyses.

“I consider publishing the documents in a foreign language as an important step,” Hasanli said. “I think this process must be continued and the documents must be translated into largely-spread languages for recognizing the March genocide by international community.”

The historian-scientist regards possible to prevent Armenian agitation against Azerbaijanis.

Azerbaijani experts have decided that those responsible for the 1918 genocide in Baku must be held accountable and pay compensation, lawyer Fuad Agayev told Trend News.

“Serious investigations must be conducted. New mass burial sites have been found. Foreign experts must also be involved,” Agayev said.

On March 31, Azerbaijan marks the Day of the Azerbaijani Genocide.

In March 1918, Stepan Shaumyan’s Dashnak-Bolshevik government seized power and launched a genocide against the Azerbaijani people. In March to April, ethnic Azerbaijanis were slaughtered in Baku, Shamakhi and other regions. Turkey offered assistance to Azerbaijan and rescued the people from being killed.

March 31 has commemorated these tragic events since ex-President Heydar Aliyev signed a decree in 1998. The issue of compensation must be investigated, member of the parliament Aydin Mirzazade told Trend News.

“Ninety years have passed. The payers and recipients of the compensation must be determined,” he added.

Mirzazade said the genocide was committed by Armenians.

“The fact of the genocide itself is more important than the compensation. The world community must be informed about what transpired,” he said.

Evaluating relations between Turkey and United States before visit of Barack Obama to Turkey, political expert at think tank organization RAND, Larabee said that recognition of so called Armenian genocide would be a big risk for Turkish-American relations.

One of the think tank organization working for U.S. Defence Ministry, RAND evaluated Turkey-US relations before visit of Barack Obama to Turkey. One of the experienced politics analyst of the think tank organization, Dr. F. Stephen Larrabee stated that Obama decided to pay a visit to Turkey to fix the damages in ties that formed during Bush administration and he added, “But a possible approval of Armenian resolution in April would ruin the recent development in Turkish-U.S. ties. Efforts for healing relations would be wasted. A big catastrophe would take place.”

Larrabee stated that foreign policy interests of two countries coincides and said, “Justice and Development Party and Obama administration’s foreign policy choices do coincide. Turkey backs normalization of ties of U.S. with Syria and Iran. Obama struggles fort he same.”

Mentioning pledges of Obama over recognizing 1915 events as “Armenian genocide”, Larrabee said, “Pledges during the elections and actions during the management may differ. Obama knows how important Turkey is. He probably will play the “win-win” strategy. Every party loses in case of a recognition.”

We are close to a solution of the Karabakh problem by the contributions of Turkey. Babacan flied directly to Baku by-passing Turkey after his meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sarkisyan and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in February during the Security Conference in Munich.

Babacan flied to Baku with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mehmetyarov. Two minister evaluated the situation after meeting with Armenian officials again. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan informed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev over meetings with Armenian administration officials in Munich.

The diplomacy traffic between Munich and Baku resulted with development in negotiation about returning of 6 occupied regions in Karabakh which mostly populated by Azerbaijanis back to Azerbaijan. These are the clauses that Azerbaijani and Armenian officials reached to agreement.

1) 6 surrounding region of Nagorno-Karabakh was populated mostly by Azerbaijani people before occupation. Azerbaijani people had to leave their homes after occupation. Armenia will return Fuzuli, Akdam, Cebrail, Kubatli, Zengilan rayons back to Azerbaijan by time.

2) Azerbaijani refugees will return to their homes.

3) A temporary administration will take over the management of Karabakh for determination of Status of Nagorno Karabakh. In return Azerbaijan will open state border to Armenia.

4) International peace forces will be settled to the border of Upper Karabakh and Armenia, Turkey and Russia will not be participate in this international force.

Statement of Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan saying, “Relations between Turkey and Armenia will be normalized very soon” may accelerate this process.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be discussed at a conference organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Subcommittee on Preventing Conflicts in Europe, PACE Subcommittee Fellow Matthew Walsh wrote Trend News in an email.

The subcommittee was formed at a PACE meeting on Nov. 17, 2008.

The subcommittee aims to analyze the situation and submit concrete proposals to PACE to take necessary measures to prevent conflicts in Europe.

“The conference to take place before the September Part session of PACE will discuss existing live and frozen conflicts which will include Nagorno-Karabakh,” Walsh said.

All Members of PACE will be invited to attend the conference, which includes members of both the Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations, he added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

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