Azeri media protest at Armenian officers’ visit to Baku

Azadliq, Baku
3 Sep 04

headlined “The statement of protest by the Azerbaijani media against the
visit of Armenian officers to Baku”

Baku is expected to host training courses within the framework of NATO’s
Partnership for Peace programme on 12 September and Armenian officers are also
scheduled to participate in this event. This cannot but cause worry as officers
and soldiers of an occupying state are being admitted to a state that is
subjected to occupation.

We evaluate the visit to Baku by the Armenian military, which has occupied
six districts of Azerbaijan in addition to Nagornyy Karabakh, as a blow to the
independence of our state. Admitting the aggressor country’s soldiers and
officers to Azerbaijan’s training centres and joint training by the enemy and our
soldiers is disrespect for the state’s military interests on the one hand and
plays with the nerves and pride of the Azerbaijani people on the other.

We believe that the admission of the Armenian officers to Baku is an insult
to the Azerbaijani people, which has had thousands of martyrs. It aggravates
the socio-political situation in the country, provokes massive outrage and
clears the way for unpredictable and undesirable consequences.

Taking all this into consideration, we, the undersigned media, flatly condemn
the planned visit of the Armenian servicemen to Baku. We declare that as an
act of warning, the electronic media will cease broadcasting for three hours
and newspapers will publish blank front pages in protest as part of our
professional activities on Saturday, 4 September.

We retain the right to expand our [protest] actions and cease our activities
for a longer period depending on how the developments progress.

Other media are also free to join our action.

ANS group of companies, Vahid Mustafayev,

Ayna-Zerkalo newspaper, Elcin Sixli,

Azadliq newspaper, Qanimat Zahidov,

Azarnet group of companies, Ramin Isgandarov,

Ekho newspaper, Rauf Talisinski,

Yeni Musavat newspaper, Qabil Abbasoglu,

Iki Sahil newspaper, Vuqar Rahimzada [also an MP],

Sarq newspaper, Akif Asirli,

525 Qazet, Rasad Macid.