Yunis Abdullayev
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh broke out in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict turned into the bloodiest event, which was accompanied with ethnic cleansing, genocide, occupation and the annihilation of culture. As main victims of conflict, Azerbaijani people were massacred and tortured as well as their homes were destructed and were expelled from their native lands by Armenian armed forces. With Armenian armed forces having occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions, Armenian aggression obviously contradicts the principles of international law and the charters of the United Nations.
Nagorno-Karabakh historically belongs to Azerbaijani people. According to Armenian claims, Soviet Stalin separated Karabakh from Armenia and gave it to Azerbaijan. However, there is a string of assertive historical realities that Karabakh has never belonged to Armenia. First, according to an agreement signed between Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh in 1919, Karabakh Armenians agreed to remain within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. Second, according to extracted piece from the book of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict written by Svante Cornell, the occupation of Azerbaijan by Soviet army brought about the review of Nagorno-Karabakh issue. On 4 July 1992, Caucasian Soviet Bureau led by Stalin ( Kavburo) held meeting, which it was voted in the unification of Nagorno-Karabkh with Armenia. Whereas, soon later Kavburo was forced to reverse its previous decision and voted to retain, not to give, Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan, due to the strong protest of Azerbaijani Soviet leader, Nariman Narimanov.
The outbreak of conflict and war
The roots of Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict go back to 1905, 1918 and 1920 years. In 1988, conflict was again ignited with territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. During this period, over million Armenians took streets of Yerevan to demand Moscow to incorporate Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia. Moreover, strong campaign of ethnic cleansing was launched against ethnic Azerbaijanis in Armenia. The villages inhabited by ethnic Azerbaijanis settled, were attacked and burned by Armenian nationalists. According to estimated numbers, some 250 000-300 000 Azerbaijanis were deported from Armenia SSR. Turning Armenia into mono-ethnic country is a solid evidence of aggressive Armenian nationalism.
The full–fledged war in Nagorno-Karabakh erupted in 1991, when Armenian separatists declared so-called independence and organized terrorist operations in the territory of newly independent Azerbaijan. During the 1991-1994 war, Armenian bandit groups launched terrible attacks on Azerbaijani-populated areas of Karabakh, perpetrating massacres and crimes, torturing and tormenting local people, flaming and looting their properties, and devastating cities and villages.
On 26 February, 1992, Armenian armed forces, with the participation of Russian military personnel attacked Khojaly, the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh. Over one night, Armenian terrorists committed a bloody massacre, which hasn’t been seen for long-term in the history of humanity, against Azerbaijani Turks. According to official numbers, more than 600 civilians, including elderly, children, and babies were killed cruelly, and more than 1000 were taken as prisoners by Armenian terrorist groups. Khojaly was razed to the ground, all Azerbaijani traces were destroyed. This massacre carried out for ethnic reasons should be qualified as genocide.
On 8 May 1992, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, a city with historical and cultural significance to Azerbaijanis of Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result of the occupation, 195 Azerbaijani citizens were killed, 165 were injured, 552 infants lost their parents, and more than 20,000 people were displaced. All historical and cultural sites in Shusha, such as the palaces of Karabakh Khanate, mosques, temples, tombs, theatres, museums, schools and libraries were completely obliterated by Armenian aggressors. One American political analyst Peter Tase called the destruction of the historical city of Azerbaijan is a crime against humanity, which must be condemned by the international community.
Furthermore, Armenian armed forces continued the policy of the occupation and devastation in the adjacent regions of Nagorno-Karabakh. On 18 May 1991, Lachin region, and in 1993 other surrounding regions – Kalbacar, Agdam, Fuzuli, Cabrayil, Qubadli and Zangilan were subjectto Armenian occupation. All villages and cities, along with historical monuments and cultural centres in these regions were ravaged by Armenians occupiers.
The occupation of 20 percent of territory of Azerbaijan has turned nearly one million Azerbaijanis into refugees and displaced, whose rights have been violated for 28 years as they are unable to return their homes.
International documents
The United Nations and other international organizations have passed resolutions condemning Armenian occupation. United Nations Security Council resolutions of 822, 853, 874, 884, United Nations Generable Assembly resolutions of the 62/243 as well as resolutions by the other international organizations – European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of European Council, OSCE and Islamic Cooperation Organization affirmed continued support and respect for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders, which demanded Armenia to withdraw its forces immediately, completely and unconditionally from occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
In addition, the 1996 Lisbon document also confirm that the legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be determined within the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
More recently, in June European Parliament adopted new important resolution respecting the sovereignty, independence and the territorial integrity of Eastern Partnership countries within their internationally recognized borders, which is the next warning to Armenia to stop occupation in the territories of Azerbaijan.
Yerevan still ignores the implementation of the resolutions and continues occupation in the territories of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the international community puts no pressure on Armenia to respect the territorial integrity of its neighbour. The resolutions of the United Nations and other international organizations just remain on paper. The co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the United States, who are supposed to broker to the peaceful solution of conflict indicate double-standard policy on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could destabilize region in any moment.
However, the Republic of Azerbaijan still hopes for the fair settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through diplomatic means, but Baku also reserve right to use force to restore its territorial integrity in accordance with international law.
