Armenia, Azerbaijan: Baku Cancels Talks With Yerevan, Threatens Nagorno-Karabakh
What Happened: Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev backed out of the Dec. 7 round of peace talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after the latter insisted that French President Emmanuel Macron also be present, Reuters reported Nov. 28. This came as Azerbaijani officials accused Armenia of using the “Lachin corridor” to supply weapons to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region and as Azerbaijani media began to speculate about the need for a new military offensive in the region.
Why It Matters: Pashinyan and Aliyev failed to meet in Brussels, Belgium, for peace talks in November, and the potential further delay to their December meeting is a clear sign that talks have stalled. The two sides’ failure to make greater progress in peace talks and the recent shift in Azerbaijani rhetoric suggest that Azerbaijan is increasingly motivated to use force to demonstrate its leverage, meaning the possibility of renewed violent episodes either on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border or in Nagorno-Karabakh is rising. A renewed uptick in violence would make a breakthrough in peace talks even more unlikely to occur by the end of this year.
Background: On Nov. 23, Pashinyan refused to sign Collective Security Treaty Organization documents related to providing assistance to Armenia. On Nov. 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the talks did not result in any breakthrough toward a peace agreement. On Oct. 12, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said Armenia and Azerbaijan were set to agree to a peace agreement by the end of the year that will include the issue of border delimitation, although he indicated that the treaty would not reference the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan, Armenia eye preparations for future peace treaty
By Vafa Ismayilova
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan have discussed work on preparations for a future peace treaty between the two countries.
Bayramov made the remarks on his official Twitter account on April 11.
“Had a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan. We had an exchange on the work on the preparation of future peace treaty, the convening of the Joint Border Commission, as well as humanitarian issues,” Bayramov tweeted.
The direct phone conversation between Azerbaijani and Armenian ministers, the first in about 30 years, is a follow-up to the agreements reached at the level of both states’ leaders in Brussels on April 6.
Meanwhile, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar expressed support to direct contact and engagement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
“Important development following last week’s Brussels meeting. EU is supportive of direct contacts and engagement,” he tweeted in response to Bayramov’s publication about the telephone conversation with his Armenian colleague.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President Charles Michel met in a trilateral format in Brussels on April 6.
The meeting was held for a continuation of the discussions on the situation in the South Caucasus region and the development of EU relations with both countries.
The leaders took stock of developments since their last meeting in Brussels in December 2021 and their videoconference, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, in February 2022. They reviewed progress on the implementation of undertaken commitments. The leaders discussed the recently reported tensions and reiterated the necessity of adhering fully to the provisions of the 9/10 November 2020 trilateral statement.
Both Aliyev and Pashinyan expressed a willingness to work quickly toward a peace agreement between their countries. To that end, it was decided to instruct foreign ministers to begin work on drafting a future peace treaty that would address all of the issues.
At the same time, it was also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April. The Joint Border Commission’s mandate will be to: delimit the bilateral border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and ensure a stable security situation along and in the vicinity of the borderline.
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz /TURKİSHFORUM – ABDULLAH TÜRER YENER
As is known, on September 27, 2020 Occupational Armed Forces of Armenia had started military offensive against Azerbaijani positions and civil settlements. As a result Azerbaijani Armed Forces had to react and started counter-attacks. Thus the war, which lasted 44 days and ended with the victory of Azerbaijan, had started. Day by day Armenian Army had to step back and on November 10, 2020 the sides signed a Statement to stop war operations. The Statement was initiated by the Russian Federation.
During those terrific days Armenian Armed Forces launched hundreds of rocket attacks on civil settlements. Mostly those settlements were outside of war scene and even hundreds of kms off. Thus one of the most suffered cities was Ganja, some 60 km away from Karabakh and war zone.
On October 3, 2021, on the eve of the first Armenian rocket attack on Ganja, a group of Azerbaijani NGO representatives traveled to the city to express their solidarity with the suffered people and even with the all inhabitants. The city of Ganja was attacked with rockets 5 times and saw huge damages to the city killing dozens of peaceful civilians.
NGO representatives, visiting one of the most suffered areas, convened a conference in Ganja dedicated to the attacks on the civil settlements. At the end of the conference participants adopted An Appeal to the International Community which is included below.
An Appeal to the International Community in Regard to the Military Crimes Committed by Armenia Against Cities and Districts of Azerbaijan in 2020
03 October 2021, Ganja City
As a reply to the next military provocation committed against our country by armed forces of the Republic of Armenia on September 27, 2020, the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan had started contra attack operations and had liberated the lands belonging to the Republic of Azerbaijan.
As a result of successful military operations conducted by our army the military forces of Armenia were completely destroyed. With the aim to compensate the loss in the field of battle the Government of Armenia had chosen the civil population living in the cities and districts out of the frontline of the war shooting from different types of heavy weapons including artillery and ballistic rockets committing crimes and military crimes against the mankind and killed civil population including women and children making damage to the property of population as well as infrastructure facilities in a large scale
Thus, the second largest city of Azerbaijan Ganja faced heavy artillery and rocket attacks during the dates of October 4, 5, 8, 11 and 17. In general, as a result of these horrible terroristic acts 26 persons lost their lives, 175 persons were wounded, and a huge number of civil infrastructure facilities and vehicles faced significant damage.
In general, based on the order of the Government of Armenia not only Ganja and Barda, also Yevlakh, Beylagan, Tartar, Gabala, Goranboy, Aghjabadi, Khizi and other cities and districts were attacked with ballistic rockets and other type of heavy artillery weapons. As a result of this military aggression 454 civilians were wounded, 93 civilians died including 12 children and 27 women, totally 12.292 residential and non-residential areas as well as 288 vehicles had been significantly damaged.
Because of this above-mentioned reasons, we as the NGOs of Azerbaijan with the deep feeling of concern would like to attract the attention of international community to the crimes committed against mankind by the political and military government of Armenia a year ago and we are stating that the international humanitarian law especially Geneva Convention adopted in 1949 had been seriously violated.
We, the NGOs that are active in Azerbaijan who are signing this appeal on behalf of civil society of our country would like to apply to human rights protection organizations, NGOs, media representatives, parliament members and governments in all over the world calling them to express their protest regarding the military crimes committed against the civil population of Azerbaijan by Armenia and to announce this type of military acts against civil population as unacceptable.
We, the people of Azerbaijan just learned that you have acted in the House of Representatives to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022, which includes an amendment in regard to our country. In your amendment we witness many fake accusations which press us to share our position openly.
First of all you claim that “On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan, with support from Turkey and foreign militia groups, launched a military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh”, “resulting in the deaths of thousands and displacing tens of thousands of ethnic Armenian residents”.
Just to enlighten you and your supporters I’ll recall the statistics delivered by official Yerevan that about 30 civilian Armenians were killed during this 44 days of war, not thousands. And military personal which were eliminated in thousands in the territory of Azerbaijan were mostly of Armenian citizenship, not Karabakh residents. Thus Azerbaijan eliminated foreign occupants and cleansed its territories from the foreign occupants which is not against any international law or obligation.
By the way, Armenian occupant army launched dozens of rocket attacks on civil settlements of Azerbaijan out of war zone during this war and killed more than 100 civilians. Among them many kids, children and women fell victim of Armenian rockets.
Then you claim that Azerbaijan used “support from Turkey and foreign militia groups”. Are you serious? Do you know that no any foreigner fought in the side of Azerbaijan and there are no any evidences proving that? Just do not fell a victim of Armenian propaganda.
You are citing the tripartite statement by Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia from the November 10, 2020 to end the conflict. This statement really oversees exchange of all POWs, and the conflicting sides really had returned all of them immediately after the statement was signed. Thus Azerbaijan and Armenia both have no POWs after this date. But ugly Armenian propaganda is spreading fake information that Azerbaijan is still keeping Armenian POWs. And people like you are volunteering to be a tool for this propaganda.
Again, to enlighten you, Azerbaijan has several Armenian detainees, but they are not POWs as those people were stopped and detained at the end of November 2020 while illegally entered Azerbaijani lands, killed several Azerbaijanis including civilians. They all are citizens of Armenia and captured in the territory of Azerbaijan. Even most of them are freed and returned home. Going back they claimed that Azerbaijan tortured them, but they could not provide evidences of torture.
And a question for you: if any well equipped military group would enter the US illegally and kill people what would your government do with them? In such a case would you call on the US Government as well to release these people untouched? I believe that you’ll say no.
Once, you’re citing on “The Third Geneva Convention, of which Azerbaijan is a signatory, and customary international law” which “require the release of prisoners of war and captured civilians upon the cessation of hostilities and require that all detainees be treated humanely”.
And again you are claiming that “the Government of Azerbaijan continues to detain an estimated 200 Armenian prisoners of war, hostages, and detained persons, misrepresenting their status in an attempt to justify their continued captivity”.
Again, I’ll call on you to be serious. If Azerbaijan has released all persons who were captured before the end of the war, how you can claim that my country is still keeping POWs? Just ask the Government of Armenia and they will tell you that Azerbaijan had released all detained persons who were captured during actions of war days.
While seeing your citation of the Human Rights Watch and Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights reports, once more we see manipulation approval by such organizations. This kind of “human rights” organizations are always used as a tool to serve the interests of those who pay.
I was surprised while reading your claim that Azerbaijan could subject to sexual assaults woman detainees. Just to enlighten you once more, there is no any female detainee of Armenian origin in Azerbaijan. Even due to other crimes as we have more than 30 thousands of citizens of Armenian origin out of Karabakh, which lived all these years of conflict in peace in Azerbaijan.
You say, that “Armenia has fulfilled its obligations under the November 9 statement and international law by returning Azerbaijani prisoners of war”. You are right. And Azerbaijan did the same as the sides exchanged mutually in this regard.
Thus your demand to call on Azerbaijan to “immediately and unconditionally return all Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians” falls apart for having no ground.
In regard to your baseless claims on “Azerbaijan’s use of white phosphorous, cluster bombs, and prohibited munitions deployed by Azerbaijan against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Nagorno Karabakh” I’d say this is a joke by your side. No evidence on these fake claims as well.
I believe that you were maybe drunk while claiming “Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s recruitment of
foreign terrorist fighters to participate in Azerbaijan’s offensive military operations against Nagorno Karabakh between September 27, 2020, and November 9, 2020”. Why do I think so? Just for very simple reason. A person must be drunk or very far from the issue to claim this way.
Turkey helped Azerbaijan in this war in political and moral realms and we – the people of Azerbaijan and Turkey are happy with this. But no any person from Turkey or beyond was engaged in military actions in this war. For very simple reason: Azerbaijan does not need this kind of support as we have very professionally trained and well equipped Army. Plus if compare with Armenian Army and even two nations, Azerbaijan’s military, economic and human power is more from Armenia’s for several times. There is no logic to involve foreign fighters while the country has quite enough power. You as a member of Congress had to know this.
And at last I’d call on you and likewise people to stay away and let the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia to find common language. We here in the Caucasus, which is very far from the US know better how to deal with issues of conflicts between ourselves rather than you. If people like you will stay away from the issues and will not make any interference we’ll find solutions to all questions in our geography. Once we reach an agreement with Armenians you’ll see that we can live together in peace and prosperity. And without your involvement…
With hopes to be understood,
Mr. Azer HASRET
A Journalist, Human Rights and Civil Movement Activist
Those days – in 1993 I was a student. I got back to my native village Dadali (Khachmaz) after the completion of the 1st year in the Baku State University. After spending summer months there I would come back to Baku and continue my education. I lived in students’ hostel in the 1st year and was sure, that coming back after summer holidays will continue to stay in my room…
Heydar Aliyev, who was invited by the then President Abulfaz Elchibey to Baku to rule the country, just was starting to make things accurate. But every move was too slow. Because it was impossible to act and make changes quickly. In one hand Armenia’s aggression, in another hand forced internal chaos were main obstacles even for this very experienced statesman to rule the country. But instead of this very tough situation he was trying to move the country out of these difficulties and direct to the path of development. The chaos was another chance for the enemy. That’s why Armenia was not calm, but intensifying its aggression to widen areas of occupation.
As a result several other districts around occupied Nagorno Karabakh were occupied by Armenia. On July 23, 1993 including Aghdam city itself the most part of this district was occupied as well.
I got back to Baku at the end of August, 1993. While reaching the city directly moved to the Baku State University’s hostel in order to get my room. While reaching the place approached the 4th level in the building and after few minutes I was in front of my room’s door. I tried to open the door. But couldn’t manage. Then stood a bit. While I was standing and thinking of opening the door, heard some voices from inside. Someone was approaching the door. Once I was thinking, the door opened. There was a young lady in front of me. I remember as today: her face was faded, but beautiful. Seemed sad. Was broken, but beautiful. Looked straight at me as dried up. Couldn’t manage to say a word. I stood as frozen. Then I looked at her in a moment and rolled away my eyes. Afterwards gathered my courage and could whisper: “madame, this is my room”. She understood what I did mean. And asked: “OK, have you lived in this room? I will bring your goods, I have collected them”. Then turned into the room, stepped inside. Bit a while got back with my suitcase. Saying “just please” handed it to me and again looked at me with her frozen views. This time I looked at her face as well. I dived deeply into her eyes and felt her sadness there. It was impossible not to feel that. I saw this and understood her. That’s why saying nothing took my suitcase and thanked her, stepped away…
The following years with no reason I always thought, that the lady was from Aghdam. There was no doubt that she was from Karabakh and an IDP. But why did I decide that she is from Aghdam? Up today I can’t understand this. She did not tell me where is she from, and I did not ask that…
Aghdam remembered to me with this memory as well. That Aghdam, which after 1993 remained under the occupation of Armenia for very long time. As remained under occupation its white roofs turned darker. Demolished, collapsed, burned down and was to be wiped off the earth. And once people of Azerbaijan, and the state itself came to the senses, made its spine straight and on November 20, 2020 Aghdam was freed from the occupation. Armenia was not able to stay in front of the power of Azerbaijani Army anymore. It had to step off from Aghdam as well.
Now Aghdam is free. It is under control of our state as other lands of Karabakh. We have already started rebuilding it. But this seems to be long lasting. Because the enemy has left thousands of sq km of mine paved lands. These lands need to be cleared of mines which will take a while. Aghdam is one of those lands.
…On March 13, 2021 with the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and under the guidance of his aide Hikmat Hajiyev a group of civil society actors and journalists headed to Aghdam. It was exiting. What were we expected to see on the lands, which are liberated from the enemy’s occupation? We knew that those areas are totally destroyed. Even we had some estimates as well. But once again it was interesting what is waiting us there.
We arrived. We passed to the liberated part of Aghdam through the control point. Immediately we saw the turned upside down lands which was opposite of those that we left behind control point. These were the ruins of owl. Not only buildings, but the soil itself was upside down here. These views couldn’t not hurt our hearths. Occupant Army of Armenia had dug up every cm of the land here. Blinds, trenches, fortifications – everything was telling that the enemy was preparing to the great war. They made preparations to make our beautiful, productive lands a blood vessel once again. Seeing this I thought that it was indeed great that Azerbaijan managed to force Armenia to peace at the end and flee Aghdam with no war. If not due to those preparations warring sides could have huge losses. So we were right while relied on the strategic intellect of the Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev!
…Just ruins are present everywhere on the way to the city of Aghdam. There is no any saved building even for the sample. Not just saved one, even no any building with the roof on, or with the walls staying not touched. There are heartbreaking views everywhere around. Trees and grasses are grown inside the most houses. Right directly in the center of the rooms. But once upon one could hear happy smiles behind these walls. Now these wall remnants even do not remember human sense. It is obvious that for long years no human being has lived here. Even no one was preparing to live. Instantly one can feel that the occupants knew that one day they will be forced out of these lands. That’s why they managed to destroy everything. And they looted the whole city! They did everything in order to prevent people from living in these lands. But they failed to achieve this goal: Azerbaijan is enough powerful to rebuild these lands once more!
…A little ahead – in a short distance to the city of Aghdam our buses had stopped. We took off the buses. There were a lot of stones in piles. We thought, these are the remnants of the destroyed houses. But we were wrong. That was the 2nd Alley of Martyrs of Aghdam. Yes, dozens of years ago that was a last stop of the martyrs. The enemy with the hyena character had dug even graves, looted even bones of the dead people over there, and turned the surrounding area to the owl nest in line with his character. As the land was mined we couldn’t go closer to the place. Just could only take pictures and film the scene from a distance in order to show to the world…
After a while we entered the city of Aghdam. We have seen the liberated city on the TV channels. We knew about debris of the city. But could not imagine the scale quite enough. Now being on the area we felt the tragedy – the spirit of the war on ourselves…
It is impossible to describe everything one by one in details. Because there is nothing different from each other. All views look the same. There are destroyed buildings all around. There is no building having the roof on it. Just walls of some buildings are destroyed totally, of others in part. So this is what is left behind from the city which once had some 40-50 thousands inhabitants. And the grass, trees, which are grown inside the walls of the destroyed houses cause the strange feelings. While looking around one thinks that who lived inside these walls? Or those who lived 30 years ago here, what would feel if would be here right now?
Unfortunately we were not allowed to walk through the city freely. Because every point of the city is mined. That’s why we had to follow only the way which was shown. But instead of restricted movement we could see a lot which was quite enough to understand, film and show. We looked, saw, filmed in order to show to the entire world. To show in order, that those seeing these pictures could understand our pain.
Will they understand? We don’t know exactly. But we believe, that those who has a heart has to understand us. Otherwise it is impossible.
While Armenia has occupied the city in 1993 it suffered losses. But not so much as is present now. Now there is a city in front of eyes which is totally destroyed. It is annulled area. It is wiped off the surface. Even its cemeteries are looted. But once this was very beautiful city. This is the product of Armenian character. They do not only occupy, but after occupation the enemies implement an operation of destruction in order to wipe off the traces of history. To wipe off in order then to “prove” it, that those were “ancient Armenian lands”…
Thanks to our Army! If we would not support with tolerance Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev’s far-seeing and well thought policy, it would not be easy to liberate our lands. We could manage this as a nation! We could become an iron fist, unite behind the leader, lead a war against the enemy in line with the standards of the 21st century! Remnants of Aghdam are in our hands! Let’s be that! We will rebuild it! Siting the words of the President Ilham Aliyev, “We will revive you again, Aghdam!”
P.S. Armenians are trying to show us – Azerbaijanis, even all Turks around the world as a vandals, barbarian nation. They claim that we have destroyed their historical monuments. If someone wants to understand who really are vandals and barbarian, that person needs just to see the remnants of the city of Aghdam. That would be enough to understand. Then everyone would understand that Armenians, who accuse us in vandalism, in reality are pasting those characteristics to others, which belong to themselves.
Dadali, Khachmaz
Just only this one view is enough to understand what is done to AghdamA view of Aghdam Jooma MosqueThe roads of Aghdam…In the far point: Remnants of Aghdam Drama TheatreThe looted cemetery – Alley of Martyrs
The Institute of Turkish Studies (ITS), a non-profit organization, was founded in 1983 with $3 million donated by the Government of Turkey in Washington, D.C. ITS issued a press release on May 31, 2019 announcing that it will cease its operations on September 30, 2020.
This was a surprising announcement for two reasons:
1) The sum of $3 million is a relatively small amount for the Turkish government having spent tens of millions of dollars to hire public relations and lobbying firms in the United States for many years. Returning the $3 million or whatever is left of it to Turkey will not make a major difference in the country’s financial condition. Turkey needs several hundred billion dollars to recover from its economic collapse.
2) Despite the boastful press release by the Institute’s leadership about its accomplishments, the withdrawal of the funds by the Turkish government implies that the Institute had failed to meet its propaganda goals. The Turkish government stopped funding ITS in 2015. To make matters worse, the Institute’s leaders acknowledge in their press release that they have not been successful in raising sufficient funds from outside sources to continue the Institute’s operations. In recent years, the ITS received partial financial support from Georgetown University, Koç Holding, FIBA Holding, and Mr. and Mrs. Muhtar Kent (former Board chairman of The Coca-Cola Company), and other individual donors.
The ITS press release claims that its grants since 1983 have promoted Turkey and Turkish studies “in 45 US states plus the District of Columbia. Over 130 dissertation writing grants translated into 70-plus professorial positions at American institutions of higher education, and language and research awards helped prepare at least 235 others who took up teaching and research positions in the United States and elsewhere. Awards to several dozen developing scholars over the last five years will pay further dividends in the future. Nearly 80 US institutions established library/research collections relating to Turkey, or added significantly to existing resources, thanks to ITS funding, and 19 American universities received seed money to support the establishment of new, Turkey-related teaching positions.”
In recent years, the ITS was located at the offices of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The Honorary Chairman of the Institute was the Turkish Ambassador in the U.S., confirming the close supervision of ITS grants by the Turkish government.
The Institute of Turkish Studies has been embroiled in a number of scandals, starting with Heath Lowry who was the founder and executive director of the Institute from 1983 to 1993. Lowry was instrumental in preparing and publishing full-page ads in the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Washington Times on May 19, 1985, signed by 69 ‘scholars’ who denied the occurrence of the Armenian Genocide. Lowry subsequently became the Ataturk Professor of Ottoman & Modern Turkish Studies at Princeton University, funded by a $750,000 Turkish government grant.
I was the first target of a legal confrontation with the Turkish Institute, after I wrote an editorial in 1985 in The California Courier listing the names of the U.S. scholars and the amount of money they had each received from the Turkish Institute. Interestingly, many of these scholars were the same ones who were given grants by the Turkish Institute. I received a letter from the attorneys of ITS stating that they will sue me for libel unless I published a lengthy retraction which I refused to do. My attorneys informed the Turkish Institute lawyers that their allegation of libel had no merit and informed them that we will file a counter lawsuit. In response, the ITS dropped its threatened lawsuit!
Then in 1995, an article titled “Professional Ethics and the Denial of Armenian Genocide,” was published in Holocaust and Genocide Studies exposing a letter sent to Prof. Robert Jay Lifton, drafted by ITS Executive Director Heath Lowry in 1990 on behalf of the Turkish Ambassador Nuzhet Kandemir, denying the facts of the Armenian Genocide. Lowry’s draft letter in the name Ambassador was inadvertently sent to Prof. Lifton, causing a major academic scandal.
In 2006, American professor Donald Quataert resigned from the chairmanship of ITS Board after refusing to obey the Turkish Ambassador’s orders that Turkey would revoke the ITS funding unless Prof. Quataert retracted a scholarly book review in which he had written “what happened to the Armenians readily satisfies the U.N. definition of genocide.” Several other ITS Board members resigned shortly in protest.
With the announced closing of the Institute of Turkish Studies, there will be one less outlet for Turkish propaganda in the United States distorting the tragic truths of the Armenian Genocide.
