SUMGAIT – CONTINUATION OF TURKEY’S ANTI-ARMENIAN PLANS
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily #038
01/03/2007

19 years age in the Sumgait town of Azerbaijan took place another wave
of repressions and massacre of Armenians by Azeris. In connection with
the anniversary of those tragic events Hrayr Ulubabian, head of the
Sumgait Armenians’ Rights Protection Group, gave a press conference
at the "Urbat" ("Friday") club.

"Sumgait was the continuation of Turkey’s anti-Armenian program under
the slogan ‘Armenia without Armenians’. That program was realized
not only in the East but also in the West, " said Ulubabian at the
conference, being sure that the 1988 events are but a part of the
chainsaw of genocidal actions against Armenians. Mr. Ulubabian
stated that the massacres of February 26-29, 1988 were preceded
by mass demonstrations led by high-ranking Azerbaijani officials,
calling upon the Muslim population to attack the Armenians and show no
mercy. Hrayr Ulubabian represented evidence of barbarous murders of
Armenian children, although official Azerbaijani sources allege that
no children suffered in February 26-29. "February 28, about 6:00 PM a
group infuriated Azeris attacked our apartments. ‘You have to get out
and go to Karabakh – that is what you wanted and you shall not stay
here,’ they said and started hammering our doors with axes. Gorbachov
lies. The peacemaking corpses were late 3 days, not 3 hours," said
eyewitness Roman Ghambarian, participant of eh conference.

According to Soviet official data, 26 people were injured those days,
but H. Ulubabian stated that is not true. Basing upon data derived
from certificates of death he came to conclusion that more than
100 people were killed. Roman Ghambarian stated that much more were
murdered. "About 20 thousand Armenians lived in Sumgait," he said,
"4 thousand of them found refuge in Armenia, 4 thousands in Stavropol
and Krasnodar, Russia; where are the rest?"

Hrayr Ulubabian expressed confidence that the Armenian authorities are
to do everything possible to achieve the international recognition of
the Sumgait tragedy and define them as genocide. He also reminded that
the Azerbaijani government is doing everything to spread worldwide
falsehood about Khojalu and accusing the Armenians.

The massacres of Sumgait were specially organized so as to prevent the
Karabakh movement. Mr. Ulubabian said he believes that the evidence
of another genocide against Armenians can be used to the benefit of
Armenia in its claim against Azerbaijan. "Armenia must not recognize
the lawfulness of Azerbaijani statehood, as Azerbaijan refuses to
recognize the independence of Karabakh. Armenia must communicate with
Azerbaijan only through the International Court and treat Azerbaijan
as a criminal," concluded Ulubabian.