 This, slightly tampered phrase from the play by Bertold Brecht "Event”, comes to mind whenever Azerbaijan begin preparatory actions to the event called Khojaly. The original phrase by Brecht: "And yet we are saying that we are not given not to kill”. Actually both variations completely correspond to what others say about the Turks, and Turks, with good reason, are obliged to say about themselves. And if Anatolian Turks "became famous” after the Genocide of Christian Nations and then Kurds populated Ottoman Empire, then Transcaucasian Turks shout about their Genocide over the tribesmen.
The issue of killed Khojaly civilians in the Agdam suburb claimed to be not only one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the relations between Armenians and Transcaucasian Turks, but also one of the biggest frauds. This issue diverged by waves: first it was on unskillful and unprofessional level with the use of mythical numbers: "thousands” and "many thousands” of unexplained executions that were produced by the inflamed Armenophobias’ brains: "gasoline introduction in the veins”, people "sacrifices” etc. Then, years later, the falsification of Agdam’s tragedy acquired more organized and state- controlled nature: the number of victims was ordered, agreed upon - 613 people - and dictated hundreds of "witness” testimonies.
This number was differentiated by age and sex; however, it doesn’t show the quantity of dead combatants, i.e., the armed men, whose destruction is the direct responsibility of the other side’s army.
However, some of the initial myths were preserved. Thus, Azerbaijani state propaganda, "not noticing” and ignoring the strong denials stubbornly continues to repeat the myth about the "Khojaly carnage”. Evidences of survived victims that confirm the intent of the tragedy and the indifference of Azerbaijani side to the fate of civilians are also ignored. At the same time, Azerbaijan destroys or isolates all of those who question the Armenian side involvement to the Agdam’s tragedy. That’s why TV journalist Chingiz Mustafaev (Fuat-ogly) and Agdam field commander Ala Yakub were killed; Ala Yakub was thrown into torture chambers and subjected to a martyr’s death for the statement that he "could shed light on the Agdam’s tragedy, as well as tell details of helicopter’s crash above Karabakh with Azerbaijanis officials”. Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullaev also jailed after publishing travel notes, where, on the basis of collected data he questioned the Azerbaijan’s official version about the death of Khojaly civilians.
The infinite cynicism of the Azerbaijani government, which continues over and over again to kill, now morally, its tribesmen, is monstrous and boundless. People who are perfectly informed of the true culprits are forced on betraying the memory of their deceased relatives to write more and more "evidences”, and to yell out curses against people, who gave them the opportunity to leave the scene of hostilities.
Cui prodest?
In fact: who has benefited Agdam’s tragedy? Nagorno-Karabakh Republic only recently proclaimed its independence and desperately required not only food and medicines, but also the benevolence and understanding of the world community. This was actually enough for NKR to try to avoid any bloodshed that could cast doubt on its democratic aspirations. There is no accident that the young republic defending from the Azeri military aggression declared to the world the acceptance of the Geneva conventions of 1949 and the additional protocols dated 1977.
The victims were required for Azerbaijan. Moreover, they were required to the oppositional part, which attempted to overthrow Azerbaijan’s "Pro-Russian” President Ayaz Mutalibov. Here again we should remember the above mentioned Ala Yakub and his threat "to tell details of helicopter’s crash above Karabakh with Azerbaijani officials”. In fact, November 20th, 1991 in Artsakh crashed helicopter that carried almost all of the leaders of pro-Mutalibov’s Azerbaijan. Note that in the delegation arrived to Karabakh was the current Minister of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sport of Azerbaijan, at that time the leader of the oppositional Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP), Abulfez Karaev. However, he refused to fly by that ill-fated flight, referring to his illness. Thus, in the living remained the only member of delegation, the one, who was opposed to the Mutalibov’s power.
It is known that immediately after Agdam’s tragedy the President of Azerbaijan A. Mutalibov was dismissed and forced to seek for refuge in Moscow. In the capital of Russia he gave the interview, in which he reported about the nonparticipation of Armenians in the Agdam’s tragedy and the responsibility of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) for the death of Khojaly civilians. Mutalibov, seeking to return to the presidency undoubtedly gathered information about the tragedy, relying on loyal sources. He had this possibility after the brilliant operation of the NKR Defense Army, on May 9, 1992 on liberation the Artsakh historical capital, an ancient Armenian city of Shusha.
However, Mutalibov managed to stay in power only for several days. May 15th under the pressure of APFP supporters he was forced to flee to Moscow. On May 17th Turkish newspaper "Hürriyet” published the sensational note, which quoted words of Turkey Foreign Ministry senior official- joyfully commented the Mutalibov’s removal: "Our guys managed it”. It is interesting that there in the Turkish text was also an English translation of these words: "Our boys have done it”. Not hard to guess who are these boys: the power in Azerbaijan was in the hands of the Popular Front Party (APFP).
Throughout this entire history there is one more detail. It is well known that the true puppeteer of the Azerbaijan’s Popular Front Party was Heydar Aliyev, former President and the father of the current President of Azerbaijan. In April 1992 Russian magazine "Ogoniok” (Russian: Огонёк, lit. "little flame"; sometimes transliterated as Ogonyok) wrote that "the Meydan’s (Meydan-square, place) hero” - Nemet Panahov (Panahly) whom Aliyev also called as "the founder of national-democratic movement in Azerbaijan” reported that "on the eve of Khojaly’s tragedy he turned to Aliyev, who at that time was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet and the head of Nakhchivan, with the request to do something to prevent the tragedy”. The answer was: "Bloodshed will be beneficial for us. We should not interfere in the course of events”.
Well, to the Aliyev’s clan that by the old Turk’s tradition destroyed the Popular Front of Azerbaijan, Agdam’s tragedy serves loyally. It serves already for seventeen years.
Levon MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN
|
