Author: Rose Khoyetsian

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of ethnic hatred at UN court

Rose Khoyetsian
Al-Jazeera, Qatar
Oct 14 2021

Azerbaijan denied the allegations made at the ICJ and accused Armenia of ‘decades-long ethnic cleansing’.

The International Court of Justice is the United Nations' court for resolving disputes between countries [File: Yves Herman/Reuters]

14 Oct 2021

Armenia has told judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague that Azerbaijan promotes ethnic hatred against Armenians and asked the court to stop what its lawyers call a cycle of violence and hatred.

Armenia’s assertions, which Azerbaijan has denied, are part of a case it filed at the United Nation’s highest court last month that says Azerbaijan has violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to which both states are signatories.

Thursday’s hearing does not go into the merits of the case but instead deals with Armenia’s request for emergency measures to stop the alleged violations, while the court considers the claim.

Both of the former Soviet republics, who battled for six weeks late last year over Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, have lodged separate cases at the ICJ.

After Armenia’s claim was made public, Azerbaijan filed a counterclaim accusing Armenia of violating the anti-discrimination treaty. Azerbaijan is also seeking that the court order protective measures while the case is ongoing.

Lawyers for Armenia accused Azerbaijan’s authorities of fostering ethnic hatred and a culture where murder and torture of ethnic Armenians were “systematic”.

“With this application, Armenia instead seeks to prevent and remedy the cycle of violence and hatred perpetrated against ethnic Armenians,” said Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s representative.

“And in its request for provisional measures, Armenia urgently seeks to protect the rights of ethnic Armenians from imminent irreparable harm.”

Kirakosyan said the six-week war that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev “has openly admitted Azerbaijan started in September 2020 is the most recent link to this chain of ethnic violence and hate.

“We fear that it will not be the last until the roots of this conflict are addressed.

“Generations upon generations are indoctrinated into this culture of fear and hate of anything and everything Armenian,” Kirakosyan said.

‘Obviously hopeless’

Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov told the court via video link later on Thursday that it was actually Armenia that was involved in “decades-long ethnic cleansing”.

Lawyers for Azerbaijan dismissed Armenia’s complaint as “obviously hopeless” and accused it of using the UN court to score political points.

In fighting late last year, Azeri troops drove ethnic Armenian forces out of swaths of territory they had controlled since the 1990s in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, before Russia brokered a ceasefire.

The conflict claimed more than 6,500 lives.

Both sides have long traded accusations of rights abuses, including in last year’s war.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is the UN court for resolving disputes between countries.

The court has yet to determine whether it has jurisdiction in this case. It will take years before judges reach a final ruling in the Armenia versus Azerbaijan case, but they could rule on possible emergency measures in just weeks.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES

Asbarez: Dr. Umit Kurt to Discuss ‘The Armenians of Aintab’ in Zoom Presentation

Rose Khoyetsian
by Contributor

 

 

 

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Dr. Ümit Kurt

Dr. Ümit Kurt, a Polonsky Fellow at the Van Leer Institute in Jerusalem, will speak on “The Armenians of Aintab: The Economics of Genocide in an Ottoman Province” in a zoom presentation. The presentation, which will be held on Saturday, October 30 at 10:00 a.m. PST, is part of the Fall 2021 Lecture Series of the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno. The lecture is based on the publication of his new book, “The Armenians of Aintab: The Economics of Genocide in an Ottoman Province” (Harvard University Press, 2021).

Ümit Kurt, born and raised in Gaziantep, Turkey, was astonished to learn that his hometown, called Aintab by the Ottomans, once had a large Armenian community. The Armenian presence had not only been destroyed—it had been replaced. Gaziantep was a typical Turkish city. Kurt provides an invaluable account of Genocide at ground level by digging into the details of the Armenian dispossession, examining, in particular, the population that gained from ethnic cleansing. Records demonstrate how much new wealth became available when the prosperous Armenians were ejected. Kurt shows that the prospect of material gain was a key motivator of support for the genocide. Those who benefited most then financed the nationalist movement that brought the modern Turkish republic into being. The economic elite of Aintab was thus reconstituted along both ethnic and political lines.

Ümit Kurt is a historian of the late Ottoman Empire with a particular focus on the transformations of the imperial structures and their role in constituting the republican regime. He received his Ph.D. from Clark University in 2016. Since then, he has held a number of postdoctoral positions in the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University and the Armenian Studies Program at California State University, Fresno. Currently, he is a Research Fellow at Polonsky Academy in the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute and teaches in the department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of “Antep 1915: Genocide and Perpetrators” (2018), co-author of “The Spirit of the Laws: The Plunder of Wealth in the Armenian Genocide” (2015) and editor of “Armenians and Kurds in Late Ottoman Empire” (2020). He is the winner of the 2021 Discovery Early Career Research Award given by the Australian Research Council. 

Zoom Registration Link

For information about upcoming Armenian Studies Program presentations, follow their Facebook page, @ArmenianStudiesFresnoState or at the Program website.

Voter turnout in Artsakh’s local elections 59.2%

Rose Khoyetsian

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 09:54,

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS. 59.2% of eligible voters in Artsakh have participated in the local self-government elections on October 10, the data provided by the territorial election commission of Askeran, Martakert and Martuni shows.

“The voting ended at 20:00, and all polling stations were closed. 440 voters or 59.2% of the voters participated in the elections”, the Central Electoral Commission said in a statement.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Turkish press: Turkish, Azerbaijani militaries hold more drills in Nakhchivan

Rose Khoyetsian
 ISTANBUL DIPLOMACY 
OCT 06, 2021 4:08 PM GMT+3

The Turkish and Azerbaijani militaries take part in a joint military drill in Nakhchivan Autonomous Region, in this undated photo provided by the Defense Ministry. (AA Photo)

The Turkish and Azerbaijani militaries are holding more joint drills in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Region, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Wednesday.

Indestructible Brotherhood-2021 includes live-fire tactical exercises by land and air units from the two countries, according to a statement by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on Tuesday evening.

"In order to ensure the interoperability of units, troops are constantly monitored from command posts through control systems as well as units and formations, operate in accordance with combat readiness plans," the ministry said.

"Commanders assess the area, select the directions of secret approaches to enemy positions, study the routes of movement … Special attack groups approach enemy positions, evading accurate enemy fire and optical devices," it added.

The exercises involved combat aircraft, transport and attack helicopters, with pilots performing training flights and aerobatic maneuvers, read the statement, which was accompanied by visuals from the exercises.

Earlier in September, the two militaries launched a joint drill in Azerbaijan's Lachin region – which was liberated from Armenian occupation last year.

Ankara last year threw its support behind Baku, whose Nagorno-Karabakh region had remained under illegal Armenian occupation for nearly three decades before finally being liberated last November.

A year ago, clashes erupted between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan when the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

During the 44-day conflict, which ended in a truce on Nov. 10, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh from a nearly three-decade occupation. The two countries finally signed a Russia-brokered deal to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive solution.

Moreover, Turkey and Azerbaijan signed the Shusha Declaration. The declaration focuses on defense cooperation, promoting stability and prosperity in the region, and establishing new transportation routes.

The declaration affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. It also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of its armed forces.

Turkey and Azerbaijan enjoy strong relations, as the two countries embrace the "one nation, two states" motto.

During his presidency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has visited Azerbaijan more than 20 times, while over 100 delegation visits have been conducted.

Armenian Vice Speaker of Parliament, Russian Ambassador highlight developing bilateral ties

Rose Khoyetsian

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 17:07, 8 October, 2021

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan received today Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin, the Parliament reports.

The Ambassador assured that he will continue making efforts to expand the allied relations of Russia and Armenia.

The officials highlighted developing the Armenian-Russian friendly relations, talked about deepening the partnership at inter-parliamentary platforms.

The sides also exchanged views on the development of ties in economic and atomic energy sectors.

 

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

Why the European Union is failing to build peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia

Rose Khoyetsian
The Parliament Magazine, EU
Sept 28 2021
Although steps have been taken to find lasting peace in the South Caucasus region, more can be done by the EU to support its eastern partners, argues Parviz Yarmammad.

What did happen?

Exactly one year ago, the second Nagorno-Karabakh war erupted when Armenian attacks on Azerbaijani villages intensified. In 44 days, Azerbaijani forces rapidly liberated most of the land that was invaded by Armenia in the 90s. These areas comprised the former Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region and seven adjacent districts (Herbst, 2020). The invasion caused around a million Azerbaijanis to live as internally displaced persons (IDPs) for almost 30 years (Babayev, Schoch, & Spanger, 2020, pp. 279-280).

On the 10th of November, a trilateral ceasefire agreement brokered by Russian President Vladimir Putin was signed, which provisioned deployment of Russian peacekeepers within parts of the former Upper-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, an area settled by ethnic Armenians (Aydabirian, Libaridian, & Papazian, 2021, pp. 18-24). In additional to the liberated regions, Armenia agreed to withdraw its military forces from occupied territories while Azerbaijan let Armenia use the road connecting the Republic of Armenia to Karabakh.

The agreement covered the resettlement of Azerbaijani IDPs to liberated territories as well as to areas under peacekeepers’ control. It also required Armenia to open a road through its territories to connect the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan with the rest of Azerbaijan (President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2020).

However, today, Azerbaijanis have not yet been able to return to their homeland due to Armenian planted mines (Kuzio, 2021), and Armenia still insists on not providing a corridor for Azerbaijan through its territories (Yevgrashina, 2021).

Why the South Caucasus?

Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are partners of the European Union within the Eastern Partnership framework. Additionally, the South Caucasus region is an important region for the Union due to the region’s geopolitics. The region is under the active political and economic influence of Russia, Turkey, Iran, and even sometimes China. It is therefore not politically desirable for the EU to have Eastern Partners come under the influence of the Union’s ideological rivals. Moreover, the South Caucasus has important transport linkages between Asia and Europe. Similarly important, the South Caucasus, particularly Azerbaijan, is crucial for the Union’s drive to diversify energy sources and decrease Russian influence in the EU energy market (Borrell, 2021).

“If the European Union wants to be more active in peacebuilding, the implementation of concrete socio-economic projects with the mutual participation of Azerbaijan and Armenia is vital for peaceful interaction of the two nations”

Prospective Steps by the European Union

From the EU side, in July, High Representative Josep Borrell stated the Union’s readiness to build peace and several EU Foreign Ministers subsequently visited the region (Borrell, 2021). On the other hand, European Council President Charles Michel, in his interactions with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressed the EU’s willingness to contribute to the peace process. Charles Michel always emphasised the need for confidence-building between the sides. Indeed, facilitating the exchange of Armenian detainees with mine maps on June 12 and the visit paid by Michel to Azerbaijan and Armenia were remarkable steps by the EU (Muradov & Rzayev, 2021).

However, before building confidence between conflicting sides, the EU itself needs to gain the trust of both parties. For example, in July, the European Union allocated €2.6bn to Armenia, whereas Azerbaijan got only €140m (BBC News, 2021), (Mejlumyan, 2021). However, Azerbaijan suffered more than Armenia during the war; Azerbaijani cities were bombed, while cities that were invaded were left completely demolished and mined (QC, Becker, & Kern, 2021, pp. 34-44), (BBC News, 2021). Conversely, none of this happened to Armenia. In order to maintain the return of IDPs and the reconstruction of the cities, Azerbaijan needs more financial support from the European Union. The unequal distribution of resources brings the impartiality of the EU into question.

“We, as an Azerbaijani community in Europe, expect the European Union to take active steps for peace and stability in the region”

Furthermore, if the European Union wants to be more active in peacebuilding, the implementation of concrete socio-economic projects with the mutual participation of Azerbaijan and Armenia is vital for peaceful interaction of the two nations. Considering the limitations of the EU’s political engagement, the projects could be implemented within the Eastern Partnership framework. Unfortunately, so far, there have not yet been any such concrete steps.

Moreover, maintaining face-to-face interaction through the European Parliament could be helpful in boosting the peacebuilding process. The European Parliament’s dialogue and mediation were successful in the Georgian crisis (Paul & Maisuradze, 2021). In the Karabakh case, instead of releasing biased one-sided resolutions (European Parliament, 2021), the Parliament is able to push political leaders for more dialogue and concrete action alongside building bridges between Azerbaijani and Armenian parliament members.

We, as an Azerbaijani community in Europe, expect the European Union to take active steps for peace and stability in the region. We hope no war will take place again and the winning side will always be the people of the region.

Bibliography

Aydabirian, R., Libaridian, J., & Papazian, T. (2021). A White Paper: The Karabakh War of 2020 and Armenia’s Future Foreign and Security Policies.

Babayev, A., Schoch, B., & Spanger, H.-J. (2020). The Nagorno Karabakh deadlock: Insights from successful confict. Frankfurt: Springer VS. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25199-4

BBC News. (2021, July 22). BBC News Azerbaijani. Retrieved from Aİ yardımı Ermənistanı çətin "Qarabağ seçimi" qarşısında qoyur?: https://www.bbc.com/azeri/azerbaijan-57916158

Borrell, J. (2021, July 2). European Union External Action Service. Retrieved from Why we need more EU engagement in the South Caucasus: https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage_en/101243/Why%20we%20need%20more%20EU%20engagement%20in%20the%20South%20Caucasus

EU Neighbours East. (2021, June 3). EU Neighbours East. Retrieved from European Union calls Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage in renewed negotiations: https://www.euneighbours.eu/en/east/stay-informed/news/european-union-calls-armenia-and-azerbaijan-engage-renewed-negotiations

European Parliament. (2021, May 20). Press Releases. Retrieved from Human rights: Chad, Haiti and Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210517IPR04125/human-rights-chad-haiti-and-armenian-prisoners-of-war-in-azerbaijan

Herbst, J. E. (2020, November 10). Atlantic Council. Retrieved from Putin gains and loses from Armenia-Azerbaijan ceasefire deal: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/putin-gains-and-loses-from-armenia-azerbaijan-ceasefire-deal/

Kuzio, T. (2021, April 16). New Eastern Europe. Retrieved from Mines, Karabakh and Armenia’s crisis: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2021/04/16/mines-karabakh-and-armenias-ccrisis/

Mejlumyan, A. (2021, July 15). Eurasianet. Retrieved from Armenia gets aid boost from EU: https://eurasianet.org/armenia-gets-aid-boost-from-eu

Muradov, M., & Rzayev, A. (2021, June 13). Topchubashov Center. Retrieved from The 12 June Armenian-Azerbaijani deal: larger implications: https://top-center.org/en/tehlil/3150/12-iyun-ermenistan-azerbaycan-mubadilesi-ve-neticeleri

Paul, A., & Maisuradze, I. (2021, April 30). European Policy Center (EPC). Retrieved from Georgia’s road ahead: Time for the EU to show some tough love: https://epc.eu/en/publications/Georgias-road-ahead-Time-for-the-EU-to-show-some-tough-love~3e7c18

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. (2020, November 10). Retrieved from Statement by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia and President of the Russian Federation: https://en.president.az/articles/45923

QC, S. K., Becker, D., & Kern, J. (2021). Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Targeting of Civilians in Azerbaijan September-November 2020: An Interim Report. London: 9 Bedford Row.

Yevgrashina, L. (2021, September 23). The Tribune. Retrieved from Rapid breakthrough unlikely in deadlock on Armenia-Azerbaijan transit routes: https://www.thetribune.com/rapid-breakthrough-unlikely-in-deadlock-on-armenia-azerbaijan-transit-routes/

This article reflects the views of the author and not the views of The Parliament Magazine or of the Dods Group

Armenian opposition MPs boycott debates on community merger bill

Rose Khoyetsian
Panorama, Armenia
Sept 24 2021

Lawmakers from the two opposition factions in the Armenian parliament on Friday decided to boycott a parliament sitting in protest against a government-drafted bill that would merge many cities and villages into bigger communities.

The bill proposes amendments to the laws “On Administrative-Territorial Division of the Republic of Armenia” and “On Local Self-Government”.

Ahead of the debates, Armenia faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan stated the draft law runs counter to Armenia’s Constitution and the decision of the Constitutional Court.

He said the opposition would ask the president to challenge its legality in the top court.

The opposition MP also blamed the government for setting “wrong priorities” amid the security challenges facing the country.

“For 12 days already, we have demanded a discussion with the participation of the National Security Service director, foreign and defense ministers and other senior officials. These days we are seeing a tense border situation, not only ‘flirting’ with Erdogan, but also Aliyev’s latest statements clearly indicate that we are dealing with security issues that are a priority for our state," the MP said.

Minasyan announced his faction’s decision not to take part in the “illegal” debates.

Secretary of the I’m Honored faction Hayk Mamijanyan also joined the Armenia faction in boycotting the debates, claiming the bill on new administrative units is “politically motivated” and is actually aimed at removing “undesirable” local government officials from office.

Afterwards, the opposition lawmakers left the parliament sessions hall. 

Armenpress: Moscow reaffirms the need for demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Rose Khoyetsian

Moscow reaffirms the need for demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan

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 21:08,

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The situation on the problematic sections of the Kapan-Goris interstate road in Syunik, including the inspection of Iranian trucks by Azerbaijanis in areas under Azerbaijani control and the charging of money from their drivers, once again confirms the need to start delimitation and demarcation work between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports official representative of the Russian MFA Maria Zakharova said during a weekly briefing․

According to Zakharova, Russia attentively follows the developments in concrete sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

‘’Russia's proposals on this issue have been passed to both Baku and Yerevan. We look forward to hearing from the sides for organizing the future process. In parallel, we will continue our joint efforts with Azerbaijan and Armenia to unblock transport links in the region, in accordance with the trilateral agreements reached on November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021 at the highest level’’, Zakharova said.

On September 12, the National Security Service of Armenia reported that the police of the Republic of Azerbaijan stopped and checked the cargo documents of truck drivers with Iranian license plates on of the interstate road near the Vorotan settlement that passed under Azerbaijani control after the war. In connection with the incident, the Iranian Embassy in Armenia stated that the elimination of roadblocks is an imperative for Iran. According to the statement, Iran is closely following the developments in the Caucasus region in recent months, will pursue various ways of facilitating trade with neighboring countries, including Armenia.




Azerbaijan levies duties on vehicles going through Armenia’s Goris-Kapan road

Rose Khoyetsian
Sept 13 2021
 

ByAni Avetisyan
Azerbaijani border post on the Goris-Kapan road. Photo via ombudsman.am.

Armenian authorities have complained about Azerbaijani border guards searching and charging transport duties on Iranian cars passing through sections of Armenia’s Goris-Kapan road that are controlled by Azerbaijan.  Azerbaijani authorities have said that the checks and fees are part of established protocol. 

The Goris-Kapan road is the primary traffic artery in southern Armenia. The Soviet-era road skirts and occasionally crosses the internationally recognised border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Since the end of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, a roughly 20-kilometre section of the road has been under Azerbaijani control.

According to Civilnet, an independent media outlet based in Yerevan, Iranian drivers were told that they had to pay $130 to be allowed to drive through the road.  Additionally, Azerbaijani troops reportedly erected banners on both sides of the road that read: ‘You are entering the territory of Azerbaijan’. 

Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee stated on Monday that the Iranian cars passing through the Goris-Kapan highway are subject to a ‘state duty for the issuance of a permit regulating international road transport in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan’. 

Armenia’s National Security Service has since announced that they are currently in discussion with Russian border officials, who are stationed on that same stretch of road, to address the issue.

In recent months, Azerbaijani authorities have expressed consternation with Iranian cargo vehicles entering the sections of Nagorno-Karabakh overseen by Russian peacekeepers. In August, Azerbaijan sent an official ‘diplomatic note’ to Iran over the issue. 

Additional reporting by Ismi Aghayev.