Author: Ophelia Vardapetian

Rep. Adam Schiff

Representative Adam Schiff on Monday issued a statement marking the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait Massacres by Azerbaijan and in marking the occasion urged for the release of all Armenian prisoners of war.

Below is the text of Schiff’s statement.

Yesterday, we marked the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait and Baku pogroms. Beginning on February 27, 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians – leaving hundreds of civilians dead and injured and women and girls were raped. Some victims were thrown from windows and burned alive. Tens of thousands were forced to flee.

After two years, it was estimated that only 40,000 of the 250,000 Armenian residents of Baku remained in Azerbaijan. On January 13, 1990, organized Azerbaijani mobs turned on them, too, killing hundreds and injuring many more.
 
The pogroms came as a direct result of years of vicious, racist anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijani authorities, dehumanizing the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan and laying the groundwork for mass violence. Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities and deny the government’s role in instigating the attacks.
 
As we reflect on yesterday’s anniversary, we honor the victims of this ghastly injustice and pledge to speak out against hatred so that history will not repeat itself. But tragically, more than three decades later, that is exactly what has happened. Beginning on September 27, 2020, and over 44 days, Azerbaijani forces once again targeted and murdered innocent Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, and displaced tens of thousands more. Today, Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Armenia and Artsakh continues. Armenian soldiers are still illegally detained and subject to torture while thousands of civilians still live in danger. Religious and cultural Armenian sites that have fallen under Azerbaijani control are under constant threat.
 
These are the horrific consequences when aggression and hatred grow unchecked – and it is why, whether these crimes against humanity occurred one year, thirty years, or a hundred years ago, we can never allow them to go unrecognized. More than that, it is why the United States must fully step into its role as a defender of democracy and peace around the world. We must not relent in our calls for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, for the end of U.S. assistance to the Aliyev regime, and for stronger efforts to support democracy in Armenia and a free, independent Artsakh.
 
So let us pause to remember those who suffered in the atrocities of the Sumgait and Baku programs. But let us also recommit ourselves and our nation to doing everything we can, today, to bring liberation to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad, once and for all.

Turkish and Russian military officials have good relations when it comes to Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Monday.

Speaking during a conference focused on the Middle East, Bogdanov evaluated Turkey-Russia ties.

Noting that relations between the two countries have developed effectively on the Syria issue, Bogdanov said: “Our dialogue and joint work continues. This is happening not only at the political level, but also at the military level.”

Bogdanov also noted that Russia’s commanders at their Hemeimeem airbase in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia have “effective and advanced contacts” with Turkish military officials.

Turkey has been the main backer of moderate opposition groups, while Russia has been the main backer of the Bashar Assad regime. Despite supporting opposing sides in the Syrian civil war, Turkey and Russia have cooperated on many diplomatic initiatives for peace and stability seeking to find a political solution in the war-torn country, particularly through the Astana meetings.

Russia joined Syria’s now 10-year conflict in September 2015, when the military regime appeared close to collapse. Moscow has since helped in tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, whose forces now control much of the country. Hundreds of Russian troops are deployed across Syria and the country also has a military airbase along Syria’s Mediterranean coast. During the past few years, Russian warplanes targeted the areas under the control of the Syrian opposition, initially launching attacks from Hemeimeem in the west of the country.

Russian and Turkish troops have also cooperated in Idlib, the final holdout of opposition forces. A fragile truce was brokered between Moscow and Ankara in March 2020 in response to months of fighting by the Russia-backed regime. Almost a million people have fled the Assad regime’s offensive yet the regime still frequently carries out attacks on civilians, hindering most from returning to their homes and forcing them to stay in makeshift camps.

Despite backing opposing sides in both the Syrian and Libyan conflicts, Turkey and Russia have forged close cooperation in the defense, energy and tourism sectors.

NATO member Turkey has bought Russian S-400 air defenses – leading to U.S. sanctions on Turkish defense industries – and has been in talks with Russia over possibly buying a second batch.

Ankara and Moscow were also rivals in Nagorno-Karabakh during fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenian forces last year. Russia eventually brokered a cease-fire between Turkey-backed Azerbaijan and Armenia, and it is working with Ankara to monitor it.