The betrayal of Nagorno-Karabakh

At the end of September 2020, as it is known, Azerbaijan, after a long and careful preparation, attacked the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh populated by Armenians with a considerable deployment of forces. In recent years – with a notable intensification in recent months – Azerbaijan has purchased weapons of all types and origins (Western countries, Russia and Israel) using the money that comes from its oil and gas. The same money was also used in the so-called “caviar diplomacy”, coaxing politicians, diplomats and officials of all countries and international organizations in the world to “prepare the ground” for a war fought by aggressors. The border skirmish used to launch the attack was so little credible that no one paid any attention to it.

In addition to these factors, the support of all kinds from Turkey was obviously fundamental: Turkey even mobilized and sent thousands of jihadist mercenaries stationed in Syria to the Nagorno-Karakakh front. The same jihadists who a few years ago were the famous “moderate democratic” rebels who fought against the Assad regime and more recently the saviors of the Fayez Al-Sarraj regime in Libya. Mercenaries who are moved as pawns by their employer Erdogan and who, despite periodically changing their denomination and battleground, remain what they are: cutthroat jihadists beyond all laws and morals. The denial of their use by Turkey and Azerbaijan is one of the many lies that nobody believes, especially since some of them were captured and had no problem blurting out everything. Turkey’s aid to Azerbaijan was obviously not limited to sending mercenaries. For some time, members of the Turkish army have been carrying out joint exercises with their Azerbaijani colleagues, to whom they have provided state-of-the-art combat know-how and means, exploiting their unworthy NATO membership. From the moment of the outbreak of the war, the balance of forces between the two belligerents immediately appeared unequal.

Although Russia is a historical ally of Armenia, it has theoretically declared itself neutral on the grounds that Nagorno-Karanakh is not officially recognized by anyone at the international level. The real reason is that Russia, already in economic and political difficulties in this period, does not want to open another battle front, especially bearing in mind that Turkey is involved. The West pretends nothing has happened as it has always done: as it did when the Ottoman Empire massacred minorities in the nineteenth century and as it did on the occasion of the Armenian genocide of 1915. Especially since the money of the mentioned “caviar diplomacy” was not wasted and some Western politicians and officials are holding on to the gifts and favours received from Azerbaijan in past years. To complicate matters even more, there is the fact that Turkey is officially an ally of the West, even though this alliance is just a gigantic hoax. Despite the noisy mobilization of the Armenian diaspora around the world, it quickly became clear that no Western chancellery was willing to recognize the self-proclaimed republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. The same chancelleries that sent the bombers to Serbia to snatch Kosovo from it and give it to the secessionists just a few years ago. Kosovo which was obviously immediately recognized by almost all Western states in spite of traditional international law. Kosovo yes, Christian and democratic Nagorno-Karabakh no, who knows why… Apparently the secular Western countries likes Muslim countries more than Christian ones. Western politicians who still call themselves Christians (no one forces them to do so) could be advised to take a good psychological group therapy or at least to have the decency to shut up.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been inhabited by Armenians for millennia and its culture has been Christian for millennia. The historical and cultural evidences are innumerable and irrefutable. The only reason why it was part of Azerbaijan before the secession is that Stalin – who made the borders of the Soviet countries with the ruler, with spite and favours – assigned it in the 1920s to the nascent Azerbaijani republic. Perhaps out of simple ignorance, more likely out of spite (he did not like Armenians for family reasons) and out of political calculation: some say it was a move to attract Turkish public opinion into the Soviet orbit. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh understandably broke away from the Azerbaijani state not to end up like the other Armenian communities massacred in Anatolia and the Middle East in past and recent times. In this regard, we remind that Azerbaijan is a dictatorship where the leader Aliyev has been in power for almost twenty years, where there is no freedom of the press and where the abuses of power are on the agenda even against the Azerbaijani people themselves. Being afraid of dealing with such a government is more than legitimate, especially when it comes to life or death. For example, it is known that the Armenian-Christian monuments in other areas of Azerbaijan have been razed to the ground; and a minute after destroying them they deny having done so, considering the photos taken before the demolition as a secondary detail. For this simple reason, the Armenians separated from Azerbaijan: in order not to suffer yet another genocide in their history. We think the international community should take this into account…

But so far Nagorno-Karabakh has been abandoned to itself. Everyone evidently thinks they can betray it without too much trouble. And this is where perhaps they are wrong. Turning away for the umpteenth time, The West loses its little credibility left in terms of human rights and democracy. If the Armenian genocide of 1915 occurred in the midst of World War I, at a time when death was unfortunately the world’s daily bread, letting another one pass, albeit on a smaller scale, in twenty-first century would remove even the veil of hypocrisy which at least remained to cover up its indecencies and contradictions. Whenever a Western diplomat argues about human rights in the future, every man of culture will be allowed to laugh – or vomit, according to taste. Turkey, made even more daring by the impunity that has been granted for the umpteenth time, will waste no time in doing something else, increasing its aggressive and imperialist foreign policy even more. And this time the victims of the military abuse of the moment could be in the heart of Europe. Dancing with the devil hoping that he will only stamp on the feet of others is very naive… If Nagorno-Karanakh were to become an integral part of Azerbaijan again and therefore in the sphere of influence of Turkey, Russia too would suffer the Karma. Erdogan’s prestige and authority would rise not only in Azerbaijan (where he could expect practically anything from Aliyev) but also in all the other Turkish-speaking republics of Central Asia. The link between them and Turkey would be strengthened more and more – the process has already begun – and sooner or later it would inevitably end in their exit from the orbit of Russian influence in favour of that of Turkey. The Russian-centered Asia of the Soviet era would be just a faded memory. Betrayal is often a good deal, but – history teaches it even before the Bible – sometimes it does not bring luck.