By Nasrin Suleymanali:-
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict illustrated that to play with the ethnic and national feeling of minorities or nations in the region could establish the intervention of territories from another state. Experiment in previous years and the position of conflict sides illustrate that, opportunities of the Minsk Group for the resolution process of the Nagorno-Karabakh is finished.
From the beginning of this tragedy of nation Azerbaijan side recognize the “Nagorno Karabakh conflict” not only as Karabakh conflict but also indicates problem as intervention of Armenian side to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan Republic. İts root causes in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict it has to named like it.
Thus, it has not named only as The Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Besides Upper Karabakh region, seven districts around region is also under occupation of Armenian armed forces. The UN security consul paid attention in 1992 after the Armenian offensive to these 7 districts around the Nagorno-Karabakh. In reality, the UN issued four resolutions to stop the offensive and withdraw all military forces from the occupied territories. But still it has not realized.
The Karabakh problem has burned after Khojali tragedy. Khojali region was established on the basis of Askeran region in 1991. The Khojaly region is on the Shusha-Agdam and ASkeran-Khankendi highway (the main logistic road). The distance between Khojaly and Baku (capital of Azerbaijan)is 375 km. Khojaly is located 10 kilometers north-east of Khankendi (capital of Nagorno-Karabakh). Khojaly had the only civilian airport in the region, and it was considered as an important communication center. That’s why it was important of occupation of this strategic territory for the torture of conflict and invades all Karabakh region.
Basis on the strategic position of Khojaly administrative division, at the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenia’s armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. Administrative division was occupied from 4 sides-from the Khankendi/Stepanakert (capital ) from Ketik/Katuk , TezeBine/Noraguh and Mehtibeyli/Mextisen. There was no place to escape. İt was deadlock.
Thus, as many as 613 people of Khojaly , including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people were killed as a result of the massacre, were killed because they were Azerbaijan Turkish. A total of 1,000 civilians became disabled. That night eight families were completely annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, while 25 lost both parents. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.
It was estimated that damage inflicted to Azerbaijan as a result of the Khojaly genocide is estimated at $170 million.
Later the international awareness campaign was launched named “Justice for Khojaly” in May 2008 on the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, General Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue. The campaign is aimed at bringing to the world community the truth about the Khojaly tragedy and achieving its recognition worldwide.
The Khojaly massacre is currently recognized and commemorated by parliamentary acts adopted in ten countries and in twenty one states of the United States of America.
(Writer is foreign policy analyst at the Geo-strategic center (The Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic), visual thinker, blogger, writer, alumni Azerbaijan Youth coordinator in the Eastern Partnership Project (Aegee), alumni columnist and a foreign policy analyst in Karabakhİnfo journal, representative and co-founder from Azerbaijan in the independent think tank center-KafkazSam, alumni expert in Strategic Outline e-journal, columnist in Armenian blog in Day.az, JTW writer in Journal of Turkish Weekly, working with 1news.az, news.az periodically)
Views expressed are not of The Central Asia Post
