Hatred and fear over Nagorno-Karabakh

Recently released video footage that shows Armenian soldiers demonstrating their combat skills by smashing cement blocks painted with the Turkish and Azerbaijani flags has again kicked up a row between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, despite the recent tranquility that had lulled both nations into a false sense of security before presidential elections. The video demonstration reportedly took place in Khankendi, the capital city of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani territory occupied by the Armenian armed forces headed by current president, Serzh Sarksyan. Soldiers can be seen using breaking techniques on a row of bricks painted with the letters of the word Azerbaijan and punching cinder blocks with the Turkish and Azerbaijani flags painted on them.

Causing a renewed state of tension in the region, the footage appeared at the same time representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, established in 1992 to find a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, visited on Nov. 4 and 5 to conduct out inspections. As part of their visit, Minsk Group co-chairs Ambassador Jacques Faure of France, Ambassador Igor Popov of Russia and Ambassador James Warlick of the US, accompanied by OSCE representative Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, met first with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Nov.4 and then with Sarksyan on Nov. 5. They also had meetings with both nations' foreign and defense ministers.

A statement released by the Minsk Group on Nov. 5 recommended that both sides exercise restraint and avoid provocations. It also stated that any military action could only be seen as an attempt to damage peace efforts.

However war rhetoric in the region is steadily growing. Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian has said that Armenia is militarily self-sufficient and powerful and that Armenian troops are so competent and effective that they could neutralize the Azerbaijani armed forces at any time.

This kind of statement denigrating Azerbaijani troops is heard frequently from the Armenian side, especially after Aliyev recently replaced the defense minister.

In late October, Aliyev sacked Gen. Safar Abiyev, who had headed the Azerbaijani military for nearly 20 years and brought in former Deputy Interior Minister Zakir Hasanov as the new defense minister. This change of Azerbaijan's military leadership has caused concern in Armenia. The staff change might lead to a tougher Azerbaijani military that becomes stronger and more powerful, which could then bring about a sudden change in government policy on Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict has been unresolved for 23 years.

This video tape is a message from Armenia to Azerbaijan and its strategic ally in the region, Turkey, that is not only a sign of hatred but also a mark of fear. This is a show that says: “We know that we have major challenges with our capabilities and military standards, but we are still fully ready for any expected combat and we don't need any help or support from anyone, like Azerbaijan does, calling for support from NATO-member Turkey.”

Yerevan recently stated that it does not need any help from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a security bloc made up of former Soviet republics or the Russian military base in Armenia if there is any attack from the Azerbaijani side to retake Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been controlled by the Armenian administration since the early 1990s. The statement came after the Russian base commander, Andrey Ruzinski, said in a statement that according to security agreements with Armenia, Russian troops will intervene if there is any move from the Azerbaijani side.  

Coming back to the hatred side of the tape, there have been dozens of wars in the history of mankind; however, nations have tried to come together, to forget all the losses and pain and reestablish normal relationships. But this tape once again illustrates that Armenian views of Azerbaijan and Turkey have not changed and instead have become more hostile and aggressive, which poses an overwhelming danger to prospects for any peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However hard it may be, the conflict should be addressed in a progressive way in order to bring hostile parties to peace efforts. Instead of provoking hatred and aggression, it would be better to develop new projects to prevent the conflict from escalating, to dismiss acts of hostility and to minimize the war threats so that both nations can restore peace and security to Nagorno-Karabakh.