Credits: Ruptly
November 9, 2021: The Zoryan
Institute is
pleased to announce that its scholarly work on genocide
education was featured
in the Global Heroes section of three of Canada’s largest daily
newspapers: the
Toronto Star, the National Post and the Globe and Mail this
month.
Global Heroes is North America’s premier positive news magazine.
It aims to
connect its readers to uplifting stories and highlights the
inspirational
efforts of everyday people and organizations, who are diligently
working
together towards practical solutions to global problems. Global
Heroes provides
valuable insight into how communities around the world tackle
urgent issues and
create actions that lead to sustainable change.
The featured piece highlights Zoryan Institute’s scholarly work
in its three
main areas of focus, Genocide, Human Rights and
Diaspora-Homeland relations.
The Institute’s most significant and longterm initiatives, such
as the
Institute’s annual Genocide and Human Rights University Program
and its two
academic journals were given special attention, highlighting how
raising
awareness through education is key for prevention of future mass
atrocities and
genocide.
The article can be found in the November 4, 2021 issue of the
Toronto Star, and
the November 5, 2021 issues of the Globe and Mail and the
National Post. The
piece is also featured on the Global Heroes website under the
“Human Rights”
section:
.
-- Megan Reid Deputy Executive Director International Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies A Division of the Zoryan Institute 255 Duncan Mill Rd., Suite 310 Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9 Tel: 416-250-9807 E-mail: [email protected]
By Trend
The illegal visit of the Armenian Defense Minister to the territories of Azerbaijan is a military-political provocation, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.
According to the ministry, the Armenian media reported on the illegal visit of the Minister of Defense of Armenia Arshak Karapetyan to the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed.
“The unauthorized visit of the Armenian Defense Minister to Azerbaijani lands, holding meetings with illegal Armenian formations and expressing an opinion about their combat readiness is a military-political provocation,” the ministry reports.
The ministry stressed that this provocative visit of the Armenian Defense Minister was deliberately carried out on the eve of the anniversary of the signing of the trilateral statement by the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and the Prime Minister of Armenia.
“The military-political leadership of Armenia, grossly violating the provisions of the trilateral statement, intentionally destabilizes the situation in the region and endangers the activities of the Russian peacekeepers,” the message says.
The ministry added that the Armenian military leadership, instead of drawing conclusions from the total defeat in the second Karabakh war in 44 days, adapting to the new geopolitical situation in the region, strengthening peace and security, is making attempts at cheap military adventures with the expectation of an internal audience.
It was also noted that the visit of the Armenian Defense Minister once again demonstrates that Armenia continues to directly support irregular Armenian military units, aggressive separatism, and terrorist acts on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Moreover, elements of the armed forces of Armenia continue to be in the territories of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers are temporarily deployed.
“We would like to remind the Armenian Defense Minister of the fate of his former colleagues and other Armenian generals who made utopian claims such as ‘impassable Ohanyan line’, ‘new wars, new territories’,” the ministry said.
“We warn the military-political leadership of Armenia that in case of a repetition of such illegal visits to the territory of Azerbaijan, the necessary measures will be taken to prevent aggressive separatism and terrorist acts in accordance with the legislation of Azerbaijan,” the ministry stressed.
By Trend
The Armenians living in Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan, they must begin integration into the legal, economic, political and cultural space of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani Ambassador to France Rahman Mustafayev said in the news program of the international French-speaking TV5 Monde channel, Trend reports on Nov. 9.
According to Mustafayev, Shusha is the historical center of Karabakh, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, the cradle of Azerbaijani poetry and literature.
“The school of national folklore and classical music was born here,” he said.
Answering the relevant questions of the TV hosts, the ambassador said that the liberation of the city of Shusha put an end to the war.
“The war is over, the conflict has been resolved, but many questions and problems of the post-war, post-conflict period remain. These include the clearance of the liberated territories, the clarification of the fate of the missing nearly 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens, the reconstruction of destroyed cities and villages,” he stressed.
“It is also necessary to resolve the issue of delimitation and subsequent demarcation of the state borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We have long ago conveyed to the Armenian side a proposal to start a dialogue on this issue, we are waiting for a response from them,” Mustafayev said.
Mustafayev also stated that the Armenians of Karabakh are citizens of Azerbaijan, they must begin integration into the legal, economic, political and cultural space of our country.
“The territory of Azerbaijan is one and indivisible, there will be a place for Armenians on the basis of observance of the principle of equality of all before the law,” the ambassador added.
A year ago, the Azerbaijani army under the leadership of the President, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev wrote a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijan, putting an end to the 30-year occupation of Karabakh.
The work that international organizations could not do in 30 years, Azerbaijan did on its own – in 44 days. The liberation of the city of Shusha from the Armenian occupation on November 8 last year was a decisive moment in the course of the Second Karabakh War.
During the broadcast, the ambassador also answered questions related to the role of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Israel in the region.
TV5 Monde is a French-Belgian-Swiss-Canadian international public broadcaster. It broadcasts to an audience of 350 million people in 200 countries around the world. About 80 million people watch its newscasts every week.
[see video]
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson hailed growing relations with Turkey, saying they have successfully improved in all fields as the two countries continue to boost cooperation.
Speaking at a weekly news conference in the capital Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said relations between Ankara and Tehran have made progress in the political, social, economic and security fields.
“The capacity for cooperation between Turkey and Iran is more than realized. We have maintained close relations in recent years, and there are many projects that will be implemented. There will be high-level diplomatic visits with Turkey in the near future,” Khatibzadeh said.
Reiterating that Iran has stood against the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijan over the last 30 years and has defended Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said: “We congratulated the Azerbaijani administration and people over the areas liberated from the occupation, and we welcome its anniversary.”
He noted that Tehran and Baku are in favor of developing relations and that their foreign ministers meet regularly, adding efforts are underway to set aside some misunderstandings between the two countries.
“We hope that relations between the two countries will further develop and such misunderstandings will not be repeated,” he added.
Iran, apart from Azerbaijan and Armenia, is the only regional power that borders the once illegally occupied territories of Nagorno-Karabakh, making it a state remarkably influenced by the conflict. Still, throughout the fighting, Tehran took a “neutral” position, and even though it never condemned Armenia for its unlawful occupation of Azerbaijani territory, it also never pledged open support to Yerevan, unlike some pundits’ expectations. Conversely, Turkey has openly supported Azerbaijan and condemned Armenia’s aggression and occupation.
Last month, the interior ministers of Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding designed to prevent terrorism and illegal activities the countries face, particularly along their borders.
Meanwhile, Khatibzadeh also argued that the steps taken by the U.S. administration regarding the nuclear agreement contradicted its own claims.
“To return to the nuclear agreement, the U.S. must admit that it has done wrong. It must lift all sanctions. In addition, it should guarantee that no U.S. administration will repeat the present conditions,” he said.
Noting that the U.S. is not a party to the nuclear agreement and therefore cannot attend the next meeting on it in Vienna on Nov. 29, he said Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani would be the chief negotiator and the delegation will be formed under his guidance.
Turning to Afghanistan, Khatibzadeh said Ahmad Massoud, the son of the famed anti-Taliban fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud, visited Iran with the knowledge of various groups and units in Afghanistan.
Khatibzadeh also said that negotiations with Saudi Arabia are continuing, and progress depends on Riyadh’s attitude.
Professor Ilyas Kemaloğlu poses during an interview, Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 8, 2021. (Photo by Saffet Azak)
ATurkish history professor of Tatar descent who has dedicated his academic life to Ottoman-Russian history is working on a new project that will shed light on Ottoman maps in Russian archives.
Professor Ilyas Kemaloğlu from Istanbul’s Marmara University was born in 1978 in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk, which was also the hometown of Russian Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin and of Yusuf Akçura, a prominent Turkish intellectual of the early Republican era. Kemaloğlu came to Turkey to complete his university education 25 years ago but has since moved to the country permanently to continue his academic life.
“I came to Turkey in 1996 to study at university. I did not study in Russia because at that time the Soviet Union had collapsed, and it was a very difficult period for Russia. After my bachelor’s degree in the history department of Marmara University, I completed my master’s and doctorate degrees in Turkey as well. When I came to Turkey from Russia, I had not thought about staying here. But I loved Turkey so much and felt so happy that I could not return to Russia again,” he said.
The historian added that Turkey has been a home for Turks abroad, Muslims and everyone else, and it has always opened its door to immigrants and people in need.
“At the beginning of the 20th century, a revolution took place in Russia, and White Russians fleeing from the Bolsheviks also sought refuge in Turkey. I see this place as my homeland. Now I am also a Turkish citizen, and I am very happy about that,” he said.
Kemaloğlu researched the Golden Horde and the Turks in Russia during his master’s and doctorate degrees and made significant contributions to the subjects. He has written books and translated many Russian sources on Turkish history into the Turkish language.
“It was a subject that had not been sufficiently studied in Turkey. There was an academic gap. While I was studying at the university, my professors told me to stay here and contribute to Turkish history. Even though the Golden Horde is a popular subject in the Russian academy, it has been understudied in Turkey. Russians examine this issue from their own perspective, so I decided to work on the Golden Horde and the Khanates from a new viewpoint, by benefiting from as many resources as possible in the world,” he said.
The Mongols conquered the region north of the Black Sea in the 1230s. Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, was captured by Batu Khan in 1240. For a long time, Slavs in the region lived under the rule of the Golden Horde Khanate, which was founded in the region in 1241. During this period in history, Russians were divided into small grand principalities.
Noting that the award he received from Ilim Yayma Cemiyeti (The Association for the Expansion of Knowledge) in 2019 increased his motivation, Kemaloğlu said that people in Tatarstan offered him their congratulations after he was awarded at a meeting in which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was present.
Kemaloğlu is currently working on a project, which is supported by Turkey’s Presidency of Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB). Along with a Russian colleague, Prof. Mihail Bahanov, he prepared a document that includes about 200 maps, pictures and text.
He has also translated and published many documents regarding Armenian genocide claims.
“Russia supported Armenians and provoked them against the Ottoman Empire. However, even Russians tell the truth in their historical documents, which say Ottomans took measures but Armenians themselves started a rebellion, killed their own clergy and statesmen, and then blamed Ottomans to attract Western support. I dedicated myself to revealing such unfair situations Turks have been exposed to. I want to reach as many sources as I can about Turkish history and bring them to Turkey,” he said.
Turkey objects to presenting the 1915 incidents as “genocide,” rather calling them a tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians suffered casualties in the heat of World War I.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia under the supervision of international experts to examine the issue.
Azerbaijani service members take part in a procession marking the anniversary of the end of the 2020 military conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh region, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 8, 2021. (REUTERS/Aziz Karimov)
Turkey on Tuesday submitted a motion to Parliament to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Azerbaijan for one more year.
“Turkey, which has strongly supported Azerbaijan from the very beginning of the process so that it can defend all its rights including its territorial integrity on the basis of international law and legitimate sovereign rights, is taking important initiatives for the preservation and strengthening of peace and stability in the region and for the construction and restoration of the economic infrastructure to facilitate this,” the motion submitted by the presidency read.
It stated that the joint center in Karabakh formed by Turkish and Russian armed forces to monitor the cease-fire between Azerbaijan and Armenia successfully continues its activities.
“Turkey also contributes to the security of the region and building trust between the parties through the joint center,” it added.
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
New clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, with the Armenian army attacking civilians and Azerbaijani forces, and violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
Prior to that, about 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory was under illegal occupation.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, with the cease-fire seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
Two months later, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group on Karabakh.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Cahit Bağcı, in Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 8, 2021. (AA Photo)
Turkey strives to boost development in the Nagorno-Karabakh region after Azerbaijan liberated it from almost three decades of Armenian occupation, Ankara’s envoy to Baku said Tuesday.
Praising Azerbaijan’s victory on the first anniversary of liberating Karabakh, Cahit Bağcı told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Azerbaijan achieved victory after a just struggle in the South Caucasus region.
“Azerbaijan secured the justice that proved elusive (in Karabakh). It fought and managed to preserve its territorial integrity. In this respect, it is a blessed and glorious victory,” he said.
Explaining how life in the Karabakh region has been returning to normal in just one year, Bağcı said Turkey is doing all it can to help the liberated territory recover.
Turkey “has made an open pledge to provide all means of institutional capacity, public and private sector experience to Azerbaijan, and is continuing to do so,” he added.
He also praised AA for its efforts during the war, saying that it is an honor “that Anadolu Agency is at every program and everywhere (in the world).”
Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have remained tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
On Sept. 27, 2020, new clashes erupted after the Armenian Army attacked civilians and Azerbaijani forces, violating several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.
During the 44-daylong conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and 300 settlements and villages that had been under Armenian occupation for almost 30 years.
Prior to that, about 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory was under illegal occupation.
The fighting ended with a Russian-brokered agreement on Nov. 10, 2020, with the cease-fire seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia.
Two months later, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a pact to develop economic ties and infrastructure to benefit the entire region. It also included the establishment of a trilateral working group in Karabakh.
Fireworks go off over Baku during a procession marking the first anniversary of the Karabakh victory, Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 8, 2021. (Photo by Getty Images)
One year ago, right after the Second Karabakh War, I wrote an article for Daily Sabah about the horrible humanitarian consequences of the war. Since then, I have visited the liberated lands of Azerbaijan four times, personally witnessing the brutal destruction of Azerbaijani lands by the 30-year Armenian occupation. Approximately 900,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis have lost their homes and property, which now are in ruins and vandalized. Many cities and villages have disappeared. They have been razed to the ground. I have read such horrors only in history books.
Yet, during my visits, I have also seen an unbelievable amount of construction equipment and machines. Nowhere in the world are the reconstruction efforts taking place with such rapid speed as in Karabakh. The Azerbaijani government is keen to turn the area into the most prosperous area in the world, with ecoparks, green zero net emission zones, industrial and technological centers, transportation hubs, agro farms and safe and secure areas for peaceful living and coexistence of all ethnic groups.
Yes, this vision is possible. As Azerbaijanis celebrate the first anniversary of the liberation of the formerly occupied lands, we also witnessed the inauguration of the first international, modern and sophisticated airport in the formerly ruined lands of Fuzuli. Two more airports are under construction. We also see many highways, tunnels, electric stations and smart villages being built. The government of Azerbaijan has pledged some $1.18 billion per year for these efforts, but more assistance is needed from foreign countries and international organizations, businesses and nonprofits.
One of the most promising characteristics of the Karabakh area is the development of East-West and North-South transport corridors passing through the liberated lands, then via the Zangezur region of Armenia, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan and connecting to Turkey and further on to European markets. This transport and connectivity corridor will further link the railway systems of Russia, Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Armenia and Turkey and cement what is now proposed as a “3+3” format of regional cooperation between these countries. Turning the South Caucasus into a win-win scenario is a possible task, and one should say is an immediate obligation and responsibility of all stakeholders.
Development of the business climate in the liberated lands and the attraction of foreign investors will open jobs and opportunities for both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Economic security and interdependence and the opening of borders and communication lines will lay a solid foundation for durable political peace and security. For that to happen, both Armenia and Azerbaijan must immediately start to work on peace agreement, with mutual recognition of territorial integrity and international borders. A trilateral commission on border demarcation and delimitation is sending all sides promising signals about the potential progress.
The return of the internally displaced people (IDP) of Azerbaijan is another important task, and while demining activities (there are more than 97,000 mines in Agdam region alone) and construction of new villages take time, we, at ADA University, have surveyed more than 2,000 randomly selected IDP families about their return plans. Most are eager to settle back in their native villages and restore the vibrant economic livelihood in ancient Karabakh. Some of the surveyed residents have shown us old keys to their homes, photos of their villages and other important household items, which symbolize their never-ending dream to go back to their native lands.
There is no doubt that Karabakh will become a touristic attraction for the whole world. Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, with its deep historical and cultural heritage, will once again flourish and produce amazing composers and singers, like Bulbul and Uzeyir Hajibayli.
Regional powers, more specifically Russia and Turkey, are playing a very constructive role in securing the cease-fire, preventing further military provocations, investing in diplomatic negotiations as well as launching new business and reconstruction projects. Turkish-Armenian diplomatic normalization and the opening of their bilateral border are on the table as well, as progress is made on the Karabakh front. Turkey and Azerbaijan’s vision for inclusive regional peace and economic cooperation can finally lift Armenia from decadeslong marginalization and show optimism to the Armenian people about the future. This would prevent any radical and revanchist political parties from gaining support in Armenian society.
Both Armenians and Azerbaijanis can live in peace, as they did for many centuries. The tragic events of the 20th century should not block the opportunities for the future. The region is rich enough to benefit all ethnic and religious groups. There is no reason to fight for the land if this land will stay idle and ruined for another 30 years. Let’s work together to build a sustainable peace in the region. We have had enough suffering and humanitarian catastrophe. Time to focus on a bright and peaceful future.