GLORIOUS PAGES IN THE HISTORY OF AZERBAIJAN
Dramatic victory in the history
95th anniversary of the liberation of Baku from the Armenian- Bolshevik occupation
On September 15 this year, the people of Azerbaijan widely celebrated one of the dates of their glorious history – the 95th anniversary of the liberation of Baku city from the Armenian-Bolshevik invaders and British intervening forces. Those golden pages in the history of our country were written by the Caucasian Islamic Army (CIA), which consisted of Turkish troops and the newly recruited Azerbaijani National Army (ANA) and led by prominent Turkish General Nuri Pasha.
That event once again proves the real fact of the inviolability of the historic Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood. This is one of the most glorious pages in the history of Azerbaijan and its people as the liberation of Baku, which is the brain and the heart of the republic, became a significant point in the years to come.
Insidious plan of separation of Baku from Azerbaijan
Starting from the end of the 19th century, the nationalist and extremist Armenian terrorist organizations, began to implement an insidious plan on the separation of territories of Azerbaijan, and mainly rejection of Baku from Azerbaijan as a part of their idea to create the mythical “Great Armenia from sea to sea.”
That Armenian plan consisted of several sub-items requiring its gradual implementation. Therefore, Armenians had managed to establish the Armenian Republic on the Azerbaijani land of 9,000 square kilometers, or more precisely, the former Iravan Khanate. For a clearer demonstration of the aforementioned Armenian ultimate goal it should be mentioned that they had gradually increased this area to 40,000 square kilometers. At the end of the 1980s and the beginning of 1990s of the 20th century, the Armenian Armed Forces seized one fifth of the territory of Azerbaijan – Nagorno -Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Meanwhile, Armenians have tried and are trying to convince the international community with a contentious “fact” of “belonging” those territories to the “historic Armenia”.
However, the historical truth makes such absurd long-lasting Armenian claims senseless, confirming that the majority of population in both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, at all times, were Azerbaijani, and in no way Armenian. Let us leave aside the numerous historical documents, works of Azerbaijani and non-Azerbaijani authors and see what Armenian historians as Professor V.A. Parsamyan say to prove that fact. In his “History of the Armenian people, Hayastan in 1801-1900. ” Parsamyan writes, “Before the unification with Russian the population of Eastern Armenia was 169,155 people, of which 57,305 or 33.8 % were Armenians; 84,089 or 49.7 % were Muslims, 26,911 or 16% were Kurds, and 850 or 0.5% were from other nationalities.”
The massive migration of Armenians to the Southern Caucasus, and mostly on the territory of Azerbaijan, started right after the conclusion of the Gulustan (October 12, 1813) and Turkmanchay (February 10, 1828) treaties between Russia and Iran. More than one million and two hundred thousand people were relocated to those areas under the tsarist Russia’s leadership. Due to that fact the number of the Armenian population grew to 1.3 million in 1908. It should be noted that the process of migration and relocation of Armenian population led to the displacement of the local Muslim population from their historical lands. This process was followed by incredible torments and extermination of the local population, destruction of their villages, houses and all property. It would be sufficient to recall that ten thousand Azerbaijani villages and their population were totally exterminated in Armenia in the period from 1905 to 1920.
The next phase of the Armenian plan within the famous idea of “Greater Armenia” against Azerbaijan, which just embarked on its path of sovereignty, in the beginning of XX century was seizing its capital Baku. Stepan Shaumyan, who was appointed as Extraordinary Commissar for Caucasian Affairs by the Council of People’s Commissars of Russia on December 16, 1917, created a special plan for Baku and used Russian and Armenian military regiments against the city’s population during its implementation. In order to start the practical part of the extermination of Baku’s population, Shaumyan was looking for an excuse and found it, when Muslim soldiers rendered weapons to volunteers from Lankaran. S.Shaumyan immediately raised the Russian Bolsheviks against Azerbaijani population. That’s how the next bloodshed in Baku took place, killing tens of thousands of people.
In the result of the joint Armenian and Bolshevik “action”, the situation in the newly established country had been tensed by the summer of 1918. More than 30,000 of Armenian and Bolshevik troops ravaged the regions of Azerbaijan, especially Ganja, which temporarily played the role of the capital, as well as in Goychay, Kurdamir, Guba, Hajigabul, Shamakhi, Agsu, Salyan. At that time the Azerbaijani army was still at the stage of formation having no chance to oppose the enemy.
Throughout the country the enemy thugs carried out the genocide against Azerbaijani population. Under the pretext of creating the Bolshevik state they exterminated tens of thousands of Azerbaijani people in Baku, Shirvan, Guba, Lankaran, Kurdamir and other areas. 58 villages, 7,000 people were killed in Shamakhi province, 122 villages were destroyed in Guba, 150 villages in the mountainous parts of Karabakh , 115 villages in Zangezur and the population in these regions was slaughtered. 211 villages in Iravan province and 82 villages in Kars province were razed to the ground. The vandalism continued until 1920.
Before the turmoil in Baku
On June 23, 1918, the Government led by Fatali Khan Khoyski declared martial law throughout the country taking into account the graveness of the situation and possibility of having a turmoil wrapping the whole territory of Azerbaijan and, in particular, Baku. It became a national cause to support the army. Azerbaijani military units received a large number of small arms, as well as six pieces of artillery weapons, 21 machine guns and an armored train.
The situation became extremely complicated in Baku after the British detachment under the command of Stokes joined the Armenian and Bolshevik forces. The danger of separation of Baku, a city with an extraordinary strategic importance for the country, from the rest of Azerbaijan became real. Interveners represented by the Armenian and Bolshevik forces, as well as the British and the German forces dreamed to seize that oil-rich city. Each of these forces tried to capture Baku. Therefore, the main goal of the government of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) in such a situation was the liberation of Baku from the occupation of the Armenian, Russian and British forces. The only way out of the current situation for the Government of the ADR was to turn for help to brotherly Turkey. In compliance with the June 4, 1918 Treaty of Friendship between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Turkish side was committed to provide military assistance to the ADR for the liberation of Baku from the Armenian, Russian and British invaders and the restoration of the territorial integrity of the country. For this reason, the 5th and 15th divisions with 15,000 people were sent to Azerbaijan. United Turkish military units and the Azerbaijani army created the Caucasian Islamic Army (CIA) led by Turkish military leader Nuri Pasha.
The heroic battle and the historic victory
The Turkish and Azerbaijani military commanders managed to recruit about 18,000 soldiers in the CIA in a short time, though with big difficulties. The unified forces of the CIA succeeded to free Ganja, Kurdamir, Goychay, Guba, Salyan, and other regions from the enemy, however, the Army had suffered of immense loses in bloody battles.
The next step was to free Baku from the enemy forces. However, in early August 1918, when the forces of CIA were already on the outskirts of Baku, the British brigade of 1,500 military personnel under the command of General Denstervill arrived in the city. It was difficult to advance to the city due to air raids and artillery support from the ships of the Caspian Flotilla. That was the reason of long lasting battles. By that time the Armenian and Bolshevik forces had lost about 2,000 people while the casualties on the side of Turkish and Azerbaijani troops had been about 600 people.
Nuri Pasha implemented a thorough preparation for the second advance. In addition, the 106th Regiment and the 15th Infantry Division under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Suleyman Izzet Bey arrived for support from Gyumri. The 5th Infantry Division under the command of Mursel Pasha, the southern group of troops under the command of Colonel Jamil Jahit Bey, and the 4th Regiment in the southern group led by Lieutenant-Colonel Halim Pertev Bey and consisting of the Azerbaijani forces arrived for help as well.
After a powerful attack on Baku launched the night of September 14, the enemy was forced to retreat leaving hundreds of dead on the battlefield. The first line of defense was taken by noon, and the second in the evening. The strategic heights of Wolf’s Gate (Gurd Gapisi) and Bail were taken by the 56th Regiment; the 15th Infantry Division succeeded to take Baladzhar settlement. The Mashtaga garrison of the Azerbaijani forces set a rapid onset and succeeded to take Sabunchu-based positions. The Turkish artillery shelled military units in the city. The leaders of Armenian armed gangs, who were responsible for the ruthless massacre of Muslim population in the city, boarded ships fleeing and leaving their soldiers behind. By the evening of September 14 the British brigade sailed away on the ship as well.
Despite the protests from the European countries against the Turkish forces entering Azerbaijan, as well as its difficult situation, the Ottoman Turkey did not abstain from rendering its brotherly help to Azerbaijan and did not let down our people keeping its dignity high and fulfilling its historical mission.
Today, Azerbaijani people feel honored to commemorate with gratitude those liberators of Baku and other Azerbaijani territories from the Armenian, Russian and British Armed Forces – Nuri Pasha, Enver Pasha, Kazim Karabekir Pasha, Halil Pasha Kut, Hamid Bey, Aliagha Shykhlinski, Habib Salimov and others, as well as 1,130 Turkish soldiers who gave their lives for the sake of Azerbaijan.
The liberation of Baku let the Azerbaijani government to assert its authority throughout the republic. The Liberation of Baku was a life-changing moment in the history of Azerbaijan’s independence and political life of the Caucasus.
G.ZEYNALOGLU,
“Voice of Karabakh”
Who is investing in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh?
The government of Armenia for the purpose of an acceleration of settling of the lands of the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) occupied by it and legalization of their assignment uses the foreign companies
According to IA APA, the Armenian government is benefiting from the activities of foreign companies to accelerate the settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh, Public Union on “Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments in the Occupied Territories”.
According to the investigations of the organization, the Armenian government has involved a number of foreign companies to invest in Karabakh since 1999. Though, the activities of many of these companies haven’t been officially registered, interesting results have been recorded in the activities of officially registered organizations. So, 24 companies officially operating in Karabakh, including Armenia invest $ 35 096 500 in their production facilities in Karabakh every year. At the expense of it 1325 permanent jobs have been created in Karabakh.
The leaders of foreign companies operating in Karabakh have established their 6 subsidiaries that are local enterprises there. They were able to create 400 more permanent jobs by investing $ 2 745 300 in these subsidiaries every year. As a result of this illegal activity $ 37 841 800 is invested in Karabakh by foreign companies every years. Foreign companies operating in the occupied territories are mainly engaged in telecommunications, floor tile production, construction materials and agricultural products, wood processing and other types of activities.
Volume of investments in Nagorno-Karabakh and number of jobs created by the leading companies of foreign countries (1999-2012):
Names of companies Volume of investments Number of opened jobs Field of activity Names of countries
Investments made by foreign companies
1. Karabakh Telecom Co $15,000,000 30 Telecommunications Lebanon
2. ATA-Vank-Les Co. $1,500,000 120 Parquet and tile production The U.S.
3. Sirkap Armenia Co $1,500,000 50 Hotel business Switzerland
4. Haik Watch and Jewelry Co. $1,200,000 118 Jewelry Switzerland
5. ArtsakhBank Co. $1,000,000 Banking Switzerland
6. Sirkap Armenia Co. $650,000 85 Construction materials Switzerland
7. Iceberg-A $500,000 9 Cooling systems Russia
8. Arvard Co. $380,000 37 Dairy products The U.S.
9. Shishmanian Ltd. $350,000 20 Food processing, pasta production Monaco
10.Andranik Shpon Co. $340,000 25 Wood processing Switzerland
11. Mika Ltd. $287,000 Winemaking The United Kingdom
12. Australia Nairi Ltd. $200,000 17 Hotel business Australia
13. Yerkir Tour Co. $200,000 19 Hotel business The U.S.
14. Sasun Co. $123,000 12 Polyethylene pipe production Iran
15. Minasian Co. $100,000 35 Carpet production The U.S.
16. Oil Cracking Co. $100,000 20 Oil refinery Russia
17. Artsakh Gorg Ltd. $50,000 45 Carpet production The U.S.
18. Stepanakert Bread Factory Co. $26,000 Bread, pasta products The U.S.
TOTAL
$23,506,000
642
Investments made by Armenia
Base Metals Ltd. $10,000,000 320 Metal mines Armenia
ArtsakhCable Co. $500,000 23 Cable production Armenia
Nairi Ltd. $442,600 150 Winemaking Armenia
Lusakert Ltd. $300,000 150 Poultry farming Armenia
ArmTechnoMashExport Co. $203,600 Medicinal tea production Armenia
Max Wood Ltd. $144,300 40 Wood processing Armenia
TOTAL
$11,590,500
683
Local companies established at the expense of natural resources of Karabakh
Artsakh Alco CO. $1,500,000 96 Wine, vodka and alcohol production
Shoe Factory Co. $494,300 114 Clothing production Karabakh
Varanda Co. $260,000 30 Barrel production Karabakh
Urartu $160,000 70 Diamond polishing Karabakh
GF Ltd. $130,000 18 Furniture production Karabakh
Arj Co. $85,000 25 Can production Karabakh
Dvin Ltd. $70,000 18 Poultry farming Karabakh
Narek Co. $46,000 29 Can production Karabakh
Total
$2,745,300
400
General total $37 841 800 1725
According to another report of IA APA, referring to “news.am”, Italian company will open a textile factory in Nagorno Karabakh for famous firm “Versace”.
“Deputy Prime Minister” of a separatist regime of the NK Arthur Agabekyan declared recently: “We are ready to provide them with the territory of 3.5 thousand square meters in the building of the former Nagorno-Karabakh silk industrial complex”.
A.Agabekyan reported that in the combine territory “government” of “NKR” plans to create center of light industry. Here already the companies on production of samples of a wool yarn and clothes work. According to him, he doesn’t see problems in questions of transportation of finished goods of the company: “The main thing for them is reference conditions which we are ready to provide”.
It should be noted that Armenia counter with all international rules of law and it is persistent aims to legalize assignment of the occupied Azerbaijani territories, including Nagorno-Karabakh, presides at their illegal settling, attraction of investments of the foreign companies which were under the Armenian diaspora influence, development, plunder of natural resources of Azerbaijan, etc.
This illegal purpose of the country invader is proved once again by announcements of recently visited NK prime minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan like “Armenia will continue to make the active efforts in the direction of it (i.e.”NKR” – edi.) further development, promoting also to attraction of the international investments”; “economic development in Nagorno-Karabakh shall go the advanced rates because it is obvious that today in Nagorno-Karabakh the future of our nation is solved. Our victories shall be fixed in the economic sphere” etc. Having concerned the next anniversary of “independence of NKR”, the prime minister made the most real separatist statement: “It is a holiday not only NKR, but also all the Armenians because we in the 21st century with pride look forward, celebrating a big victory which recorded, having proclaimed independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic”.
We in Azerbaijan have such saying: “carefully eat, and that you will choke”. There is no sense more than something to tell Armenians, besides. As for foreign investors, here it is simply impossible to conceal surprise and anger: the majority of them are represented by the countries which are recognizing territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and not recognizing a separatist regime of Nagorno-Karabakh. How to call it?
Hikmet ALLAHVERDI
From the editor
E.Nalbandyan’s alarmist clamorousness
“… Armenians are inclined to shout in any occasion. Won’t let them in others house, or will open their any intrigues, or will prosecute their pilferers, – they not only lift shout, but also force to shout silly or selling people from others”.
This quote belongs to prominent Russian researcher V.L.Velichko, and it is taken from his book “the Caucasus. The Russian business and intertribal questions”, published in St. Petersburg in 1904, that is, over an eyelid ago. Yes about these people it is enough similar statements. But we, to Azerbaijanis, don’t have need to refer to similar judgments of different authors though they contain the exact characteristic of Armenians because, being in the neighborhood with them during long time, ourselves perfectly know them, is expert in their negative features, including in their alarmist clamorousness that Velichko concerned. Just here this last Armenian feature also was brightly shown the other day by the head of foreign policy department of Armenia.
It is a question of Edward Nalbandyan’s alarmist clamorousness during his speech at the Roman Institute of the international relations within recent visit to Italy. At a meeting where there were senior representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, the diplomats accredited in Rome, political scientists, analysts, journalists, having addressed to a question of the representative of embassy of Azerbaijan, the minister stopped on “this country of an pro-Armenian advocated by the top management”, “territorial claims sounded by Baku to Armenia”, “militaristic announcements and military threats” and declared: “Even today, after glorification of murderer Safarov (we are talking about the Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov sentenced in 2004 by court of Hungary to life imprisonment for stimulated murder of the Armenian officer G. Markaryan, legally extradited in 2012 to Azerbaijan and pardoned by president I.Aliyev – edi.) the manual of Azerbaijan expresses bewilderment in connection with a line item of the international community, opposes to it and brags that arrived correctly. And what did they expected? What is the community will applaud this ridiculous step? The manual of this country is convinced that there was something very pleasant. Shamefully, when the head of any state can consider as the positive phenomenon glorification of the murderers”.
Further E.Nalbandyan has told lies that supposedly “glorification and rewarding of similar persons is contrary to all accepted standards of human rights”: “In it the difference of perceptions of the international community and a manual of Azerbaijan also consists, for this reason the international community and Azerbaijan speak different languages for this reason between Azerbaijan and the international community the civilization abyss goes deep”.
Yes, this bleating of the high-ranking impudent official of Armenia – the country aggressor, occupying the one fifth part of the territory of the neighboring country, on whose fault killed over 20 000 innocent citizens of the latter, about 900 settlements were ruined, more than one million people became refugees and internally displaced persons, hundreds children remained orphans. We won’t be devoted to details of validity of all steps of the Azerbaijani and Hungarian sides connected to R. Safarov – about this, enough is written in our newspaper. Let’s concern that this superimpudent fellow, remaining correct above-named Armenian negative features, R. Safarov so speaks about “a ridiculous step of glorification in Azerbaijan” as though to anybody in a pattern names of hundreds Armenian bandits, executioners of an uncountable great number of innocent Azerbaijanis and Turks of both floors aged from the two-day baby to the elderly person who has passed for one hundred, received for it the higher award of Armenia, become national heroes of this country aren’t known. What a bastard, to the extent necessary to be mean-spirited that is completely related to Armenia to Azerbaijan things forward. The essential fact: all “outstanding” executioners of the Azerbaijani people – Andranik Ozanyan, Garegin Nzhda, Monte Melkonyan, Vazgen Sislyan, Varuzhan Karapetyan, Stepan Shaumyan and many similar to them murderers, whose hands stained blood not one, and thousand people, are erected in Armenia in heroes.
Improbably, that Nalbandyan forgot that Armenia is known in a pattern as the country supporting terrorism, and under its direct manual hundreds crimes in the territory of Azerbaijan are made. He, of course, perfectly knows all this, but after all he is an Armenian, he shall try to cover owing to the above-stated Armenian national feature the opposite side with not purity in which his country wallowed. Really he isn’t able to understand, what, being the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia which displayed heroism for decades terrorists, erects them monuments and brings up young generation on their example, it simply has at least no moral right to moralize to any other country? Unless he forgot a set of the facts of pardon of the specific murderers condemned in Azerbaijan and transferred to Armenia? Why he though a little isn’t ashamed, and on the contrary, in the most impudent way reproaches others?
However, at all it isn’t necessary remembering anything. It is sufficient only the fact that already 15 years Armenia the persons being murderers criminals – Robert Kocharyan and Serge Sargsyan whereas they at the best shall be imprisoned direct. And proofs for this purpose – enough, will suffice only their personal recognitions, for example, boast of the principal of the Khojaly massacre of that time when was killed thousand people, the present president of Armenia S. Sargsyan Thomas de Waal, to the British journalist-writer: “To Khojaly Azerbaijanis thought that it is possible to joke with us, they thought that Armenians aren’t capable to raise a hand against the civilian population. We managed to break this stereotype”. The words of his predecessor R. Kocharyan about ethnic incompatibility of Azerbaijanis and Armenians – an index of racial discrimination, ethnic intolerance and the xenophobia which has taken roots in the top management of Armenia.
So Edward Nalbandyan would be better to hold his foul tongue, because, as the saying states, all troubles are on the tip of the person tongue…
К сведению наших читателей
Материал «Дж.Гасанлы. Нагорный Карабах: старые заблуждения в новой интерпретации» сможете прочесть в следующем номере нашей газеты.
Information for our readers
Material “J.Hasanly. Nagorno-Karabakh: the old misconceptions in a new interpretation” can be read in the next issue of our newspaper.