"ECHO": THE BEGINNINGS OF ARMENIAN EXPANSION
S. Rzayev

DemAz.org

Feb 14 2008
Azerbaijan

Ruling party proposes to make the fight against false propaganda of
aggressor more active.

Recently in conference hall of the Ataturk Center under the
leadership of representatives of ruling party "round table" was held
on "Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict: the main goals of fight against
Armenian information provocations". Representatives of parliament
and leading historians and scientific researchers partook in the event.

Amongst them there was vice speaker of Milli Mejlis, Bahar Muradova.

With opening address executive secretary and deputy chairman of "Yeni
Azerbaijan" party, Ali Ahmadov, opened the event. He drew attention
of participants to recent history of Armenian claims to historical
territories of Azerbaijan. Accordingly to him, today given issue
preserves urgency due to continuing Armenian expansion. The only
possible development of events, following to MM deputy, in this
situation will be active fight of Azerbaijan against Armenians’
tricks. With special regret deputy points to the fact that present
Armenian state was created on aboriginal Azerbaijani territories.

"But they, Armenians don’t stop even now, as known, 20% of
Azerbaijani territories are under Armenian occupation", underlines
Ahmadov. Moreover, it is with caution that he points to the fact
that today Armenians make active propaganda on alleged belonging of
Nakhchivan to Armenia. "All this say that Armenian provocations should
be operatively repulsed", executive secretary of "Yeni Azerbaijan"
party calls on.

Accordingly to him, unless our territories are released and Armenian
occupation is stopped, the fight should go on. Chairman of ruling party
recalled recent statement of president of Azerbaijan that Yerevan,
present capital of Armenia, historically is Azerbaijani city, it was
given to Armenians mistakenly in the past.

We should remind that president made this statement on January 17
this year in Guzanli village while visiting Agdam region. Later this
theme was discussed in details at the first meeting of spring session
of Milli Mejlis, on February 1.

Executive secretary of "Yeni Azerbaijan" party reminded that as
time showed Armenian side is not satisfied by occupation of our
territories: Azerbaijanis were forcibly displaced, moreover, total
ethnic cleaning on currently occupied territories took place. "It
is sweeping historical unjust which unfortunately goes on today",
chairman of ruling party says.

Then historian, MM deputy, Yagub Mamadov, took floor. He more
than half an hour told in details about Armenians’ tricks. They
being alien nation in our region pursued aggressive policy against
Azerbaijanis for many years. He also underscored that conduct of
Armenian side forces Azerbaijan to be in constant readiness for
attack. Deputy tells that having occupied 20% of our territories,
Armenians don’t know rest and now they are claiming to Nakhchivan. At
the same time Armenians, as deputy thinks, have formed some delusion
of misappropriation of cultural values of the nation of the region,
including of Azerbaijanis. "Over and over again they attempt to
present themselves – Armenians as the most ancient nation of our
region, though everyone knows that they arrived to South Caucasus
from Balkan peninsula", – deputy stresses.

Then he went back to historical past of Yerevan city, Azerbaijani
version of which is Irevan. Accordingly to him, historical documents
of tsarist Russia contain statistic facts on population of Irevan
khanate, which clearly define that Azerbaijanis made up majority of
this region. He referred to different Armenian and Russian historians
who confirm these facts in their works. Deputy also informed that
significant aspect is toponymy of this region. For many years Armenians
purposefully changed Azerbaijani names of inhabited places to Armenian
ones. "Thus they are attempting to erase Azerbaijani trace and to prove
to the world that they are masters of these territories", deputy said.

The words of historian and MM deputy, Yagub Mamadov, were welcomed by
participants of "round table". At the same time executive secretary
of "Yeni Azerbaijan" party, going back to the past of Yerevan and
mistaken giving it to Armenians focused on the fact than Azerbaijanis
should remember their history and recognize the right and the wrong
steps undertaken in the past. The matter is that during discussion
of this issue at MM meeting number of opposition MM deputies came out
against negative evaluation of the role of Azerbaijani government in
1918, to which ruling circles attribute mistaken decision on giving
Yerevan to Armenia. In the course of the event it was underlined
that for a long period of time Russia was involved in resettlement
of Armenians in Azerbaijan, thus creating Christian stronghold for
itself in Muslim country. Resettlement of Armenians in our country as
speechmakers said were specially enhanced gaining system nature after
signing between Iran and Russia Gulistan and Turkmanchay agrrements,
which divided our county into North and South Azerbaijan.