PRO-GOVERNMENT TV SLAMS AZERI NGOS FOR “PRO-ARMENIAN” FILMS SHOWN IN BRITAIN
Mahsati Seyidzada, Cavid Aliyev, Lider TV.

Lider TV, Baku
17 May 06

[Presenter] A project on the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict prepared by a UK university has caused a scandal. Under the
project, six films on the realities of the Karabakh war were shown to
students. Three of them were from Armenia while the rest were shown
as Azerbaijani films. However, after the demonstration of the films,
it emerged that they were all pro-Armenian.

[Correspondent] It is outrageous that some people are keen on showing
the West and Europe that neither the Xocali tragedy [on 26 February
1992 massacre of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh] nor other Armenian
atrocities had happened in Azerbaijan. Do Azerbaijanis really want
to live side-by-side with Armenians?

[Unidentified man] Under no circumstances can we accept compromises
with them. They can call us their friends today, but tomorrow they
will again start doing what they have been doing for many years.

[Unidentified woman] I am not aware of the terms under which we can
be able to establish ties with them.

[Correspondent] The point in question is that the films shot by
local NGOs meet the interests of Armenian propaganda. The Azerbaijani
minister of culture and tourism is also unaware of the films shown
at the British university.

[Abulfaz Qarayev, minister of culture and tourism] I did not sanction
or shoot those films, and therefore, the ministry is not responsible
for them. We are unaware of them.

[Correspondent] The films shown unbeknown to the government do not
reveal the truth about Karabakh. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
has pledged to react to Armenian propaganda by stepping up its own
propaganda.

[Matin Mirza, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry] It is a fact that
the films are biased and meet the interests of other people.

Actually, those people, even if they are Azerbaijanis, cannot be
regarded as Azerbaijanis if they do not express their sympathy with
their homeland. We shall respond to this type of propaganda with our
own propaganda.

[Correspondent] Matin Mirza added that the attitudes of journalists
visiting Azerbaijan should also be studied in order to prevent
such cases.