“Armenia is fighting Azerbaijan, Turkey and terrorism alone”
FIGAROVOX / INTERVIEW – If the Armenian people and their diaspora are determined to defend their land, international aid is long overdue, deplores Mané Alexanian. According to the journalist, Armenia will not be able to resist without the help of its allies.
By Mané Alexanian
Posted on October 8, 2020 at 1:04 PM, updated October 8, 2020 at 4:18 PM
Mané Alexanian is a French journalist of Armenian origin. His family is from Nagorno-Karabakh.
FIGAROVOX. – Why the conflict between Armenians and Azeris around Nagorno-Karabakh, “frozen” since 1994, despite some sporadic outbreaks of violence, suddenly revived on September 27?
Mané ALEXANIAN. – In fact, this ceasefire was never really respected. He has been severed numerous times. In 2008, in 2016 (4-day war) and in July 2020. Azerbaijan accuses Armenia, Armenia accuses Azerbaijan. However, Armenia has no valid reason to break this ceasefire. On the contrary, it was until then a means of protecting the population and the territory of Artsakh, which Armenians call Nagorno-Karabakh. If you take a closer look, Artsakh has a population of 120,000 and is supported by Armenia, which has a population of 2.9 million.
Azerbaijan is the 64th military power, Turkey 11th, and Armenia is ranked 111th.
On the other side, there is Azerbaijan, which has a population of 9.9 million and is supported by Turkey and its 82 million people. Moreover, Azerbaijan is the 64th military power, Turkey the 11th. Armenia, meanwhile, is ranked 111th.
What sane government would break a ceasefire with two military powers of this caliber?
I believe that Azerbaijan, seeing that Armenia does not come forward to start a war, is now seeking to end the issue of the inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh; they are doing this by bombing the capital and the infrastructure, ignoring the civilian presence.
The Armenians denounce an expansionist will of the Turkish power which is deployed in the South Caucasus. Do you share this analysis?
I can only share this analysis. Artsakh and Armenia are landlocked between Azerbaijan in the east and Turkey in the west. Turkey wishes to expand its power and reconstitute the Ottoman Empire. The only obstacles in his path are Armenia and Artsakh. Turkey guides its counterpart as it pleases in order to expand its power. The first step of her work is to recover Artsakh with the help of Azerbaijan, then she will take care of Armenia. For Turkey and Azerbaijan, this is a real war of ego! Nothing can interest them in this region, except the geographical rapprochement of Azerbaijan to Turkey.
The people of Nagorno-Karabakh do not want to be reunited with Azerbaijan, but rather to gain independence, as they proclaimed during the fall of the USSR in 1991.
Azerbaijan is based on a treaty signed by Stalin in 1921, which links Artsakh to Azerbaijan. This connection has led the population of Artsakh to be the victim of a systematic policy of ethnic discrimination and cleansing aimed at their gradual disappearance.
The opinion of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh must also be taken into account. Not to mention the difference in religion (Christianity), this province does not wish to be attached to Azerbaijan, but rather to obtain its independence, as it had proclaimed during the fall of the USSR in 1991.
On October 6, the Kremlin reiterated that “the parties have an obligation to cease fire and sit at the negotiating table.” Is Russia, which maintains close relations with Armenia, its ally in the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), playing its role of mediator?
Although an ally of Armenia, Russia remains neutral in this war. It is neither for Armenia nor against Azerbaijan. It plays its role of mediator. Armenia has expressed its readiness to work with the Minsk Group, co-chaired by Russia, the United States and France, to achieve a ceasefire. But Azerbaijan must also agree to sit around the table.
We are allowed to doubt it, especially when we know that the Azeris have the full support of Turkey, which has also said it is “ready to stand alongside the brother and friend country that is Turkey. Azerbaijan with all [his] heart and by all means ”.
173 French elected officials signed an appeal asking the government to come out of its “neutrality” in the face of “Azerbaijani aggression against the Armenians”.
Emmanuel Macron, who nevertheless denounced the Turkish involvement in the conflict, should he be firmer in your opinion?
On Friday October 2, during a European Union summit in Brussels, Emmanuel Macron dared to denounce the presence of 300 fighters who left Syria to reach Baku via Gaziantep (Turkey). “They are known, traced, identified, they come from jihadist groups operating in the Aleppo region,” he said.
This information was confirmed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), which claimed that more than 850 fighters from pro-Turkish Syrian factions had arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh via Turkey, and also added that 300 combatants had arrived a week before the start of the war.
This proves that Azerbaijan had prepared its attacks beforehand. What interest if not to bring these mercenaries on its territory if it is not to fight?
Today, Armenia finds itself alone to fight against Azerbaijan, Turkey, but also terrorism. That’s a lot for such a small country. While it is important to denounce, we must now act and punish.
The Armenian diaspora seems very active in the conflict, some have even joined the front to defend their homeland. Should this be seen as a fear of the Armenian people of being decimated or forced into exile?
The Armenian diaspora has always been united, but it has been more since September 27. Real solidarity has taken hold. In a very short time, a collection of medicines, supplies, and even clothing was in place. The information is relayed on social networks, day after day.
Each of us has a brother, a father, a cousin, a friend on the front lines right now. Our land, our history and our people are in danger. This is also why Armenians from France, the United States, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere went to the front after Armenia declared general mobilization. It is this same spirit of solidarity that nourished them.
By going to the front, these young people in the diaspora wish that this painful past does not happen again.
Those who left are mostly descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors. There are also the children of fathers who participated in the liberation of Artsakh in 1994. The story is passed down from generation to generation. By going to the front, these young people in the diaspora wish that this painful past does not happen again.
It must be understood that if Azerbaijan lays down its arms, there will be peace. If Armenia lays down its arms, there will be no more Armenia. One thing is certain, we will not let Erdogan succeed, where his ancestors failed.
lfigaro.fr/vox/monde/l-armenie-combat-seule-l-azerbaidjan-la-turquie-et-le-terrorisme-20201008?f
English translation – LOUSAVOR AVEDIS:
