THE VILLAGES ARE IN SALE IN NAXCIVAN: KURDISH FAMILIES WHO COME FROM TURKEY BUY HOUSES OF LOCAL PEOPLE
Yeni Musavat
June 8 2008
Azerbaijan
We have informed many times about the activities of the PKK [the
Kurdistan Workers Party] supporters in Naxcivan, their self-management
in the universities of this autonomous republic, the distribution of
the symbols and the flags of the unrecognized state of Kurdistan, the
harassment and the proscription of local people and the transfer of
the sales outlets to the people who sympathize with the PKK. The other
newspapers have also alarmed on this issue. The situation has reached
its peak. Various Azerbaijani officials have started talking about the
threat to the country by the PKK. The press secretary of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Xazar Ibrahim, made such statement last week.
Inflow of Kurds from Turkey continues
Despite the statements and the media alarm, there have not been taken
any serious step at the official level. Therefore, the Kurdish flow
into Naxcivan from Turkey has intensified. According to information
that our editorial office received from Naxcivan, there have been
observed the settlement in the centres of the districts up to
now. The process has spread on villages lately. The families who
have the Turkish citizenship settle in the villages in Naxcivan that
have been become deserted due to economic problems. "They come to
villages and look for the owners of the houses that are locked. The
majority of the owners have moved either to Baku or to Turkey. The
local authorities mediate the meetings of the local people who have
moved to Baku with Turkish citizens. The landlords are called from
Baku to Naxcivan and the Turkish citizens pay them 10-12,000 dollars
in order to buy the property. The local people who moved to Baku many
years ago are happy to get that price for the houses where they have
not lived for many years. They think that they live in Baku and do
not need the property in the village".
It is interesting that the Turkish citizens who buy houses in the
villages of Naxcivan say that they are the Turks. The local people
do not doubt that the new comers are the Kurds.
Naxcivan – out of sight, out of mind
A former officer of the Ministry of National Security who has
[anonymously] talked with us about the issue has said that the
processes in Naxcivan may generate huge problems for Azerbaijan in
future. He thinks that the processes should have been prevented
at the early stages. "The tension in Naxcivan is caused by the
absence of the land frontiers with the autonomous republic and that
the Azerbaijani public and media are not able to influence it. The
second factor is that the local branch of the Ministry of National
Security in Naxcivan that is supposed to give information about the
processes either does not give information or the given information
has no impact. The local authorities in Naxcivan are not influenced
in appropriate manner. This is because the authorities in Naxcivan
enjoy an extraordinary status. None of the state institutions in
Azerbaijan except for the president may influence the authorities in
Naxcivan. The relevant state institutions may not use information
that they have. The fact that they are not able to influence the
situation might cause serious problems in Naxcivan in future. The
increasing settlement of the Turkish citizens with the Kurdish origin
in the villages of Naxcivan may cause serious problems for the local
inhabitants in future as well. A number of experts have also warned
that if the abovesaid settlement is not prevented, it may cause that
the separation of Naxcivan from Azerbaijan will come to the agenda
in near future. If the process continues this way, it may happen
in few years. It will result in the loss of more territories in
prospect. There are no doubts that the countries which are unfriendly
to Turkey have a serious interest in creating a hot spot on the border
of Turkey and Azerbaijan. It is also obvious that if the migrants
moving to Naxcivan will put forward political and other demands,
they will get support from Armenia that has land border with Naxcivan".
Our interviewee has stressed that the population of Naxcivan who have
always been distinguished with the spirit of resistance have lost their
it now. "The economic problems and unbearable political conditions
have caused the migration of the local people from Naxcivan. It is
not a secret that there are empty villages in Naxcivan. People have
moved either to Baku or to Turkey".
No media access to exclave
The officer of the Ministry of National Security has reminded that
it is impossible to send a correspondent from Baku to Naxcivan and
this is a serious challenge. This does not serve to the interests
of Azerbaijan. "The opposition politicians who are originally
from Naxcivan are not able to travel there. This behaviour of the
local authorities in Naxcivan and the fact that foreign dangerous
powers have found a fruitful ground there will cause a tragedy for
Azerbaijan. Naxcivan is settled by strangers who dislike the Turks
and Turkey and when the war starts with Armenia they will not protect
Naxcivan. They will either leave Naxcivan or support the Armenians. It
may result in the loss of Naxcivan. The process in Naxcivan may have
such causes that one shudders with horror while thinking of them. There
has appeared a chasm between Azerbaijan and Naxcivan. The fact that
the strangers who do not protect the interests of Azerbaijan are
brought to Naxcivan means that there is a time bomb in Naxcivan".
Our interlocutor says that there is a way how the country can escape
the tragedy. "Security services should combine information that they
have about the migration of strangers to Naxcivan with information
published in media and report to the president. Further, there should
be taken very serious measures. If steps are taken with the support of
the president, the above mentioned facts in Naxcivan can be neutralized
in few days. It is easy to put the problem to the end. There should
be just determination and the will.