Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
July 29 2009

Kurdification of Azerbaijan a dangerous plan

Ethnic Kurdish officials in the authorities are planting mines for the
future of our country

by Tofiq Ahmadli

As time goes Kurds enjoying quite strong support in Azerbaijan feel
themselves more comfortably here. This even has reached a point that
an ethnic Kurdish crime boss visits Baku freely to attend a wedding
party here. As we already reported, several days ago, ethnic Kurdish
crime boss Zahir Kalashov, alias Sakro, attended the wedding party in
Baku. Invited especially to the event at Ay Isigi restaurant in Baku,
Sakro and some of his next of kin left Baku immediately after the
wedding. A highly reliable source has told us this news.

The source said that Sakro was invited to the wedding especially by an
ethnic Kurd represented in the leadership of the country. Sakro is
close to Ded Khasan who is known as a godfather in the criminal
underworld.

The source said that both Sakro and Ded Khasan are in close relations
with Gen Baylar Eyyubov, the head of the presidential security. And
bearing in mind that Ay Isigi is owned by the Eyyubovs, one can assume
that the crime boss was invited by this circle. Over the recent years,
Kurds have been moving to Baku intensively. A considerable number of
Kurdish families from Turkey, Iraq and Iran have settled here since
2005.

We need to highlight that Azerbaijan is in no way against the
principles of internationalism. Our country has been a place for
various ethnic groups Lezgins, Talis, Avars, Inqiloy, including Kurds
and representatives of other ethnic groups for many years and they
live here without problems, enjoying equality. The issue in question
is about the purposeful settlement of Kurds, in particular, of tribes
connected to the PKK [the Kurdish People’s Party] directly or
indirectly. This is a policy designed for the future.

Actually, observations enable us to say that Kurdification of
Azerbaijan is not a new plan but a process being implemented for a
long time. True, after reports carried by Yeni Musavat newspaper about
the settlement of Kurds in different districts, the law-enforcement
agencies of the country did carried out some activities to this
end. Settlers were quickly sent out. Nevertheless, the process is so
intensive that interference of the police and other structures do not
bring to fruition each time.

In our previous issues, we reported about the settlement of Kurds in
Goycay District. Observations and researches by our correspondent
discovered that a new settlement is under construction for Kurds in
the district. This is not the first such a case. Over the recent
years, there have been reports and information in the media outlets
about camps constructed for Kurds in the capital and in several
districts of the country. We have to acknowledge that Yeni Musavat
paper is very sensitive about this topic.

The settlement of Kurds in Azerbaijan has intensified since 2007. Over
this period, with close support of a Kurdish group in the authorities,
a considerable number of Kurdish families have been settled in Goygol,
Samux, Samkir, Goranboy, Naftalan districts. Our correspondents have
repeatedly prepared reports about areas they were settled and closed
camps they are kept. Yeni Musavat is not against any people or ethnic
groups to live in Azerbaijan. Our point is different when we highlight
this issue. The issue in question is about the settlement of tribes
who are close or sympathize with the PKK, along borders of our
country. In several dozens of years, like our ungrateful neighbours,
no-one can guarantee that newcomer Kurds would not have territorial
claims on our lands.

It is an open secret which major countries are behind the political
Kurdism, how and on which conditions Kurds are being organized. Given
this, the settlement of immigrants in our fatherland can be considered
a mine planted against Azerbaijan’s future. Although plans of the
political Kurdism ideologists come across resistance in Turkey, Iraq,
Iran, they are provided with fertile conditions in Azerbaijan.

They even are so confident and self-reliant that ethnic Kurdish crime
boss visits the wedding in Baku and no-one troubles him… In former
times, tsarist Russia settled ethnic groups to various territories of
Azerbaijan. It also arranged massive settlement of Armenians from
across different areas in mountainous part of Karabakh and inflated
their numbers artificially. At the next stage, by means of the settled
Armenians, they kicked off territorial claims to us. In the conflict
under way for 100 years, Azerbaijan has suffered immensely. Following
the artificial conflict between us and Armenians, we have lost a lot
of lands. Tens of thousands of Azerbaijani Turks have been killed. Our
development has been hindered. Russia has been still taking advantage
of this conflict. In their turn, Armenians have ambitions to create a
second Armenian state in Karabakh.

A similar scenario is now being implemented under a Kurdish plan. We
are about to face a Kurdish problem without resolving the Armenian
problem. Actually, this also runs against the interest of the Kurdish
people. Therefore, it is necessary to beat the drum together and
uninterruptedly. Otherwise, both the Azerbaijani Turks and Azerbaijani
Kurds would be driven into trouble.

[translated from Azeri]