Over the last weeks, the so called “frozen” conflict between Nagorno Karabakh Self Recognized Republic and Azerbaijan has risen again. Both sides have a very large number of casualties, using tanks, drones, artillery, missiles and other staff. Even the highly dangerous smerch has been used by Azeri side. The current situation in border line between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan has a little bit calmed down, but still fire continuous. The international community blames both sides for the violation of ceasefire and the international media has many inaccuracies in its coverage. Yet, to understand who started this conflict we just need to go back to history.
During the Soviet Union times, The Soviet Union leader, by that time Joseph Stalin, gave Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan. After the collapse of The Soviet Union Nagorno Karabakh held a referendum and according to the results, 99.89% percent of people voted for Nagorno Karabakh to declare itself as a sovereign state. In 1994 large-scale war started between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh people won the war, after which Azerbaijan still started to claim Nagorno Karabakh, and the latter still wanted to cease from the official territory of Azerbaijan. For around 20 years, after the end of the large-scale war, the parties were to solve the conflict in peaceful diplomatic means, but permanently there was a violation of peace by Azeri side, who attacked Nagorno Karabakh.
Now, international media seems not to understand which party started the sharpening of the conflict this time. The answer is very simple. Always, the one, whose interests were not satisfied last time, start to attack the next. That is a means to try to change something, or to show that still there are claims over the certain issue. In this case, Azerbaijan, as a loser of war in 1994, tries to change the status quo, but as we see, again Azerbaijan was destined to both military and diplomatic failure. After several days of fighting, shooting and bombing each other, it is now clear that Azerbaijan could not change a thing but moreover, it has serious equipment and human resource loses, by at the same time making Armenian or Nagorno Karabakh side havevery high number of casualties.
Besides, one of the reasons why this war started now, is the problem of inner policy of Azerbaijan authorities who have offshore scandals. Moreover, the economy of Azerbaijan is completely based on oil and as we know the oil prices as randomly went down, and that is the reason why Azerbaijan needed to create a drama outside of the country to draw the public’s attention and to shift it from domestic issues to something else. Azerbaijan authorities wanted to show that they are still powerful and have huge military power. The shocking thing is that Azerbaijani soldiers attacked peaceful people of NKR and killed them, cut off their ears, and this is just the small portion of what they can do. Let us remember the Sumgait massacres, how many peaceful Armenians were killed in wild ways. While, when Nagorno Karabakh people were already reaching Baku in 1994 and could have done the same, could have raped Azeri girls and they have done to Armenians, could have killed children and old people, they did not even touch a single girl, or kill old and children.
This is the image of Azerbaijan. It is the right time to cut Azerbaijan’s hands by undertaking international sanctions against it. It is time the international community focuses on real dangers of the whole South Caucuses. It is the time Nagorno Karabakh people’s voice to be heard. Let people of NKR choose their own path and whether they want to live in Azerbaijan, or in Nagorno Karabakh. One more time this nation proved. Armenians do not start wars, but they end them.
