Statement delivered by Ambassador Armen Papikyan at the 1291 PC meeting on the Aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh and Armenia with the Direct Involvement of Turkey and Foreign Terrorist Fighters

26 November, 2020

Mr. Chairman,

The November 9 statement on cessation of fire and all hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone put an end to the fighting, further loss of life and human suffering. More than six weeks of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan with the support and active involvement of Turkey and foreign terrorist fighters and jihadist groups have led to numerous civilian casualties, destruction of civilian settlements and infrastructure. Due to the indiscriminate targeting of civilian population by Azerbaijani armed forces, more than half of the population of Artsakh fled their homes, turning into refugees and displaced persons.

The war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces during the war have been well documented and we commend the work of those courageous journalists who risked their lives to report on the conflict. We also commend the Offices of the Human Rights Defenders of Artsakh and Armenia who have been collecting the evidence of the violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces. The latest report prepared jointly by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia and Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh has been issued on 18 November and contains graphic images showing horrific atrocities committed by the Azerbaijani armed forces against soldiers, prisoners of war and captured civilians. Due to the horrifying images contained in the report, we decided not to distribute them among participating States. Nevertheless, the report was made available to specialised agencies and experts for consideration with a view to possible further measures.

Armenia also applied to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to apply interim measures against Azerbaijan in relation to the latter’s degrading and humiliating treatment of nine prisoners of war. The Court granted this request by Armenia and applied interim measures against Azerbaijan, demanding to ensure respect for the rights of prisoners in line with the European Convention for Human Rights and provide them with necessary medical treatment.

Mr. Chairman,

Thanks to the deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces, the population of Artsakh started to return to their homes. However, despite this positive trend, we are witnessing some alarming developments such as killings, abductions, intimidation and threatening of the peaceful population of Artsakh.

After the ceasefire, on 11 November, ten Armenian citizens went missing while they were in Nagorno-Karabakh with a humanitarian mission. A few days after their disappearance, Azerbaijani users of social networks began posting videos showing degrading and humiliating treatment of captured Armenian citizens by the Azerbaijani armed forces.

Armenia has filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights requesting application of interim measures against Azerbaijan in connection with the abduction of Armenian citizens. Subsequently, the Court granted Armenia’s request and applied interim measures against Azerbaijan urging to ensure respect for the Convention rights and of the captives and to provide them with necessary and appropriate treatment. The court also requested information about 10 Armenian citizens abducted on 11 November.

There were also reports of attempts by Azerbaijani soldiers to enter Armenian settlements wearing uniforms with Russian insignia with the aim of terrorising and kidnapping civilians.

We believe that this tactic of intimidation aims to force the people of Artsakh to abandon their houses and leave their homeland, and at the same time to prevent refugees from returning to their homes. We have persistently alerted our international partners about Azerbaijan’s policy to oust the Armenian population from these territories and, thus, to change the demographic composition of the region

Mr. Chairman,

Immediately after gaining control over the territories, the leadership of Azerbaijan, including president Ilham Aliyev launched a campaign aimed at appropriating the Armenian cultural heritage, including churches, monasteries and other religious sites. They claim that all Armenian churches belong to the Caucasian Albanians, while portraying themselves as descendants of Caucasian Albanians, which is clearly absurd for anyone who is even slightly familiar with the history of the migration of Turkic nomads to our region.

Artsakh is an integral and inseparable part of the Armenian cultural landscape. 370 Armenian churches dating from 4th to 18th centuries, 119 fortresses, some of them built as far back as in the 2nd century B.C., 243 cemeteries dating from 2nd century B.C. to 18th century A.D. This is the intangible heritage left to the Armenian people by their ancestors and constitutes part of their identity. If left unprotected in the hands of the Azerbaijani authorities, these cultural and religious sites will face the threat of destruction and annihilation.

The fate of the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhijevan, which has been thoroughly destroyed and completely erased by the Azerbaijani authorities after the Armenian population was forced to leave this region is a case in point.

We hope that the Armenian cultural and religious heritage of Artsakh, in particular the monuments and sites located in the territories, which, according to the statement of November 9, will come under Azerbaijani control, will be in the focus of the international community. There have been numerous statements calling for the preservation and protection of cultural and religious heritage, including by specialised organisations. In light of these calls, the Azerbaijani leadership has adopted a new approach - instead of physical destruction they are now trying to change the history of these sites and monuments in an effort to deny the historical rights of the Armenian people to Artsakh as their homeland.

We have already seen disturbing footage and images of Armenian churches and religious monuments desecrated and vandalized by Azerbaijani soldiers.

In this context, we would like to warn the international community about the imminent threat of systematic appropriation, alteration and final destruction of the Armenian religious and cultural monuments in the territories under the control of Azerbaijan. We urge our international partners and relevant organizations to take urgent measures to ensure the protection and preservation of the Armenian cultural heritage, which is also part of the world heritage.

Mr. Chairman,

Our delegation has already elaborated in detail on Turkey’s role in unleashing the military aggression and the deployment of foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists in Nagorno Karabakh, and we have urged Turkey to withdraw its military personnel and weapons, as well as affiliated foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists from the region.

Regrettably, this was not the case. Moreover, there have been new reports that Turkey continues to recruit foreign terrorist fighters from Syria and Libya to deploy them to Azerbaijan. We have already talked about this at the last PC meeting. These reports come to confirm that Turkey, which has recruited and deployed foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, has no intention to pull them out.

In addition, last week new reports have appeared in open sources saying that Turkey began registering ethnic Turkomans from the occupied Kurdish region of Afrin in northern Syria with the aim of resettling them in Artsakh, in particular in the territories occupied as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression. Seeking to change the demographic balance and ethnic mosaic of the region, the Turkish government has already relocated dozens of Arab and Turkoman families from areas under its control in north-eastern Syria to areas, which the Armenians of Artsakh were forced to leave.

According to these sources, there are at least two offices in Afrin, Syria. One of them is located at the premises of the People Credit Bank in the Old Afrin district, while the second one is located in the New Afrin neighborhood. Both locations are known for the active presence of Turkish intelligence services.

The reports claim that these offices are registering Turkoman families in preparation of their transfer to Nagorno-Karabakh. The whole process is co-ordinated by Turkish Intelligence Service, the “Grey Wolves” terrorist gangs and their affiliated groups such as Sultan Murad, Suleyman Shah, al-Hamza. It should be recalled here that all these groups were sending terrorist and jihadist fighters to fight alongside the Azerbaijani armed forces during the war.

The Turkish authorities, with the tacit consent of Azerbaijan, are taking active steps to change the demographic composition of the Nagorno-Karabakh region by resettling affiliated foreign terrorist fighters and their families to the South Caucasus. We are also concerned that the current Turkish leadership will use territories seized by Azerbaijan to set up terrorist camps, which will be used as a tool for projecting power, instigating instability when necessary.

This Delegation has repeatedly stated that the presence of foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists in the region should cause concern not only to Armenia, but also to all countries of the region and beyond.

The above-mentioned actions are a continuation of the pan-Turkic aspirations of Turkish leaders and the embodiment of their dream of reviving the Ottoman Empire. Today, Turkey’s aggressive policy remains the main obstacle to restoring peace, stability and security in the South Caucasus and the wider region. Moreover, we have the example of Syria, where the invasion of Turkey has led to devastation, poverty , suffering and despair and turned the region into a terrorist hub and a haven for terrorists and jihadists.

Mr. Chairman,

Given the direct participation of Turkey in Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh and Armenia, as well as the transfer of Turkish-backed foreign terrorist fighters and jihadists to the South Caucasus, participation of Turkey in any form in the processes related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, especially with regard to ensuring the security of the people of Artsakh, is unacceptable for Armenia. Turkey, under its current leadership with their irredentist claims and dreams of reviving the Ottoman Empire, poses a threat to the stability of the region both in the short and long term. Turkey’s actions pose an imminent threat to the fragile ceasefire that is being maintained by the presence of Russian peacekeepers on the ground.

The animosity openly and frequently displayed by the current Turkish leadership towards the Armenian people are reinforcing the security concerns of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian people around the world, which are rooted in the Armenian Genocide.

Armenia was a staunch supporter of the reconciliation of the Armenian and Turkish peoples. Moreover, we have always appreciated the courage of Turkish people who saved many Armenian lives during the Genocide. However, the current leadership of Turkey rejected the possibility for reconciliation.

Therefore, Turkey cannot and should not play any role in the settlement of the Nagorno‑Karabakh conflict, as it impedes any progress in the settlement process by its hostile actions. We regret this stance of the current Turkish leadership, which could have played a more constructive and responsible role in the region aimed at creating an environment for peace and prosperity for all peoples of the region without distinction. Instead, the Turkish leadership has chosen the path of denialism, confrontation and intimidation further fueling tensions and conflicts in the South Caucasus and beyond.

Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, I would like to stress once again that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs continue to remain the only internationally agreed format for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and enjoy the support of Armenia. All issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and the final resolution of the conflict, including the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, are subject to discussion within this format.

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