"Nagorno Karabakh is the historical and indigenous land of Azerbaijan. Throughout the centuries, Azerbaijani people lived here and gave birth to its creatures. Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is recognized by international community. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity should be restored".
Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
16 September 2010
Victoria Ivleva
A Russian journalist, Victoria Ivleva entered Khojaly after its occupation by the Armenian armed forces. She took the pictures of the streets of the town strewn with dead bodies of its inhabitants, including women and children. In her media reports, she described how she saw a large crowd of Meskhetian Turks from Khojaly, who were led to captivity by the Armenian militants and how she was hit by an Armenian soldier when she was helping a captive woman. She recalls that scene:
“Last in that big crowd of Turks on the march was a woman with three children. She was walking barefoot on the snow. She barely moved and fell quite often. As it turned out later, the youngest of her children was only two days old. Two days! I took the baby in my hands and started walking with the Turks. We were both – I and that woman – crying bitterly. Dark night, huge mess … Even though my clothing distinguished me from the Turks I was clubbed several times and cursed at to move quicker. I knew that I was under no threat but for a moment there, I felt like a prisoner. I wouldn’t want anybody to go through that.”
In 2011 Ivleva found in Azerbaijan that woman. Her little child, Gunay had grown up, but did not speak because of the shock she suffered in her childhood. Although Gunay fought hard to survive, that intense trauma and shock took her life shortly after Ivleva’s visit.
Karabakh is one of the ancient historical regions of Azerbaijan. The name Karabakh is a combination of the words “gara” (black, big) and “bagh” (garden, land). The word “Karabakh” as a name given by Azerbaijani people to their land first appeared in primary sources of the 7th century. In dealing with the subject of Karabakh, the first question to be answered is: where is this place and which areas of Azerbaijan does it cover? The answer to this question is especially relevant today for any understanding of the “Nagorno-Karabakh problem” created by the Armenian separatists. To answer this question we will refer first to Mirza Jamal Javanshir Garabaghli, the vizier of the Azerbaijani Karabakh khanate, who wrote in his book The History of Karabakh (1847):
After the overthrow of the Afshar Empire led by Nadir Shah the prominent state official Panahali bey Djavanshir founded one of independent states of Azerbaijan - Karabakh. He was born in the Saridjaly village of Karabakh. Mirza Djamal, the vizier of Karabakh khanate wrote: "Late Nadir shah after occupying Karabakh, Ganja, Tiflis and Shirvan provinces, invited all the working people of cities and villages in his place and gave them job among his servants and paid them salary, they gained respect and ranks.
He also involved Panah ali khan best known as Panahali bey Sarydjaly Djavanshir, who distinguished himself in every action, was famed and unconquerable in any battle and brave in all the wars with Nadir Rum»s troops (the wars with Osmanly empire in 1730th are implied here -Y.M, K.S). Yet after the Mughan congress Nadir laid punishment on those Karabakhians who did not recognize his power and exiled Muslim population to Afghanistan and Khorasan.
Karabakh is one of the ancient regions of Azerbaijan. The name of this inseparable part of Azerbaijan consists of two different Azerbaijani words: "gara" (black, big) and "bag" (garden, land). The combination of these two words is as ancient as the nation of Azerbaijan. The association of these two combined words with the definite part of Azerbaijan in every part of the world is an oracle.
Releasing from the thraldom of the Russian Empire, which lasted for approximately 120 years, the Azerbaijani people established a new independent state in the Northern Azerbaijan. The Declaration of Independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic stated that the lands of Northern Azerbaijan, once occupied by Russia in accordance with the Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828) agreements are the legal heritage of Azerbaijani people. The first article of the declaration read: "Beginning from this day the people of Azerbaijan will have their sovereign rights.
Further to the Kurekchay agreement of 1845, the Karabakh Khanate was annexed to Russia. The preservation of khan»s government for additional 17 years had a definite strategic meaning.
The murder of Ibragim khan in 1806 showed that Russia neglected all the rules and laws. Under those circumstances, the power of Mehdigulu (1806-1822), who inherited the power from his father Ibragim khan, was not strong. The tsarist government strengthened its occupation regime and desired to weaken the economic position of the local authorities in order to establish its own power in the region.
In ancient times, Karabakh was a part of the ancient Azerbaijan state-Caucasian
Albania, which mostly consisted of Turks and Caucasian tribes.
The examples of material culture , numismatic evidences discovered in Khankendi, Aghdere, Khojavend,
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of Azerbaijan
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Territory- 4,400 sq.km
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Population (1989)-189,085
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Armenians- 145,450 (76.9%)
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Azerbaijanis – 40,688 (21.5%)
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Russians – 1,922 (1%)
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Other nationalities –1,025 (0.6%)
Nagorno-Karabakh and other, surrounding, regions - dates invaded
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Nagorno-Karabakh – 1988-1992
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Shusha – May 08, 1992
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Lachin – May 18, 1992
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Kalbajar – April 2, 1993
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Aghdam – July 23, 1993
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Fizuli – August 23, 1993
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Jabrayil – August 23, 1993
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Gubadli – August 31, 1993
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Zangilan – October 29, 1993
Victims of agression in Azerbaijan
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Killed – 20,000
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Injured– 50,000
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Missing – 4,866
Infrastructural destruction or damage
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Settlements – 890
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Houses– 102,000
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Public buildings – 7,000
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Schools – 693
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Kindergartens – 855
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Health care facilities – 695
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Libraries– 927
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Temples – 44
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Mosques – 9
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Historical sites – 9
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Historical monuments and museums – 464
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Industrial and agricultural enterprises – 6,000
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Highways – 800 km
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Bridges – 160
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Water lines – 2,300 km
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Gas lines – 2,000 km
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Power lines – 15,000 km
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Forests – 250,000 ha
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Cultivated land– 200,000 ha
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Irrigation systems – 1,200 km
According to initial calculations, the damage caused
amounts to 60 billion USD.
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