TOPICAL: ANOTHER SCANDALOUS VISIT TO KARABAKH BY TURKISH JOURNALISTS
Yeni Musavat
Nov 17 2009
Azerbaijan
Has a correspondent of Aksam newspaper described Nagornyy Karabakh an
`Armenian land for one hundred per cent?’
In parallel with the signing of the protocols between Armenia and
Turkey, the media has also been given the go-ahead to contribute to
a rapprochement between the two societies.
Over the recent months, correspondents of Turkey’s leading mass
media outlets are being sent to Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh one
after another. And as a result of these trips, there appear reports
on Armenians living in miserable conditions, their eagerness for
the opening of the borders with Turkey very much and readiness for
reconciliation.
According to Armenian sources, another Turkish newspaper sent its
correspondent to Nagornyy Karabakh. This time, it is said that Nagehan
Alci and a cameraman of Aksam newspaper were sent to the occupied
Azerbaijani region to prepare reports.
Moreover, the Turkish journalist in an interview with Nagornyy
Karabakh’s "public television" allegedly claimed that this region "is
one hundred per cent an Armenian land". A report carried by Novosti
Armenia news agency said. Although it was impossible to verify to
what extent this report was true, it added that Nagehan Alci in the
interview said that public opinion in Turkey was not properly formed:
"Nagornyy Karabakh is one hundred per cent an Armenian land. We have
realized that you Armenians are resolute against making concession
over this land."
The journalist said that it was her wish to see Nagornyy Karabakh with
her own eyes: "Therefore, I appealed to our editor-in-chief to this end
and got a positive answer." The journalist said that the territorial
dispute around Nagornyy Karabakh also interests Turkey very closely:
"What we have seen here has dispelled our suspicions about the future
and the past of Karabakh. We talked to both officials and ordinary
people. I am pleased to see Stepanakert (Xankandi editorial office)
and would like to be back here again."
The journalists said that people in Azerbaijan would probably not
be happy about their visit to Nagornyy Karabakh: "We knew this
in advance. It is possible that they would declare us persona non
gratae in Azerbaijan, however, I do not want to disappoint anyone in
Azerbaijan and Armenia. I am a journalist and my profession requires
that I visit everywhere."
Alci said that she would pay visits to Susa and other villages to meet
Armenian refugees and get interested in their living conditions. Upon
my return home, I shall write unbiased articles, she said.
We should note that prior to this, Turkish NTV channel caused
diplomatic tension between Ankara and Baku with a clip shot in Nagornyy
Karabakh. The channel’s crew went to Xankandi without agreeing it
with the Azerbaijani side and met the head of the separatist regime
and other officials and introduced Bako Sahakyan as a "president".
The clip contained other moments running against Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and sovereignty. Official Baku sent a diplomatic
note to Ankara over this clip and the issue was raised at talks
between the foreign ministers of the two countries.
Although the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a verbal statement said
that the clip did not reflect official Ankara’s position, no official
response was sent to Baku’s diplomatic note. It is assumed that the
visit of Aksam newspaper correspondent to Nagornyy Karabakh and her
statement would provoke similar tension.
Over the recent time, the media outlets in particular those connected
with the AKP government carry frequent reports from Armenia where
Armenians are depicted as supporters of peace in public opinion.