“We lost a helicopter. First, it was necessary to carry out a service investigation to see what the helicopter was doing in the neutral zone. We lost three noble militaries, professionals, who can be called unique today. Throughout the course of the war, Azerbaijan had only 1 pilot. Whereas we today lost 3 for nothing. Who sent them to the fire line? Why were they sent? This is where we should start,” such assessment was given by politician Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to the Mi-24 helicopter crash of Karabakh Air Force by Azerbaijan.
To our question that they say that it is a security neutral zone and it is not heard to fire in such cases, Gurgen Yeghiazaryan replied, “It is a line of fire. No military exercises are carried out in the firing line. Are we sending there a kamikaze? From there, at any second, one could fire even by MUKHA-7 rather than by IGLA. Who has seen conducting military exercises in the neutral zone? The exercises are conducted in the rear, and a drone aircraft is sent to the neutral zone. Helicopter is a huge target in the air. If it does not attack, then it is exposed to be vulnerable. If it pursues an investigative purpose, then in the 21st century, it is not done by a huge helicopter, endangering the lives of people and the equipment. Nowadays, there are drone equipment for such purposes, with which the investigation is conducted.”
To our question of whether the pilots possibly deviated, Gurgen Yeghiazaryan excluded it. “In the daylight? We have the best pilots. Well, one helicopter deviated, what about the second one? To determine all of this, it is necessary to start a service investigation, rather than to come and sit at the airport.”
According to Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, if you bring your hand close to a rabid dog’s mouth, what is it supposed to do but to bite? So did Azerbaijan. As said by Gurgen Yeghiazaryan, “The Artsakh President, unlike many-many others, is a president elected by the people. If a helicopter downed in Artsakh, the first person who should deal with it and come down to the Stepanakert airport dressed in military uniform is the Artsakh commander-in-chief. What is Serzh Sargsyan’s business to go there? When Serzh Sargsyan comes there down by helicopter, it incurs from this situations that we become a negotiating party, they referred to that we’ve conquered these territories, that the Karabakh people did not stand up and proclaim its independence. With our mass media we deface us. Serzh Sargsyan’s arrival by helicopter is shown with great reverence, although anyone can come down by helicopter, that the helicopter is invisible to the enemy. Millions of money is spent on the airport, if you are landing, do it on a plane, why are you landing by the helicopter? Because, the plane would be visible, wouldn’t it? Why so far no plane landed at the Stepanakert Airport? Because the Turks declared a no-fly zone and have just said that they will hit any aircraft if it appears in the Stepanakert airport. Didn’t the commanders realize the military helicopter would be downed in the neutral zone? And our state interference in the affairs of independent Artsakh results in the fact that every day the Turks are bombing our village schools. We must imagine that every day Serzh Sargsyan should have his camouflage on at the border to Armenia. The independent and free Artsakh has a President, Bako Sahakyan. Why is there a commander over the head of the commander-in-chief?”
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Gurgen Yeghiazaryan is sure that only one person should deal with Mi-24 helicopter crash problem, as well as the NKR issues in general, so that Europe would speak of the independent Karabakh. “Both are the commander-in-chief, therefore, today, we have become a negotiating party rather than Artsakh, and accordingly, the NKR issue is not resolved. If you go and land there, acting as a supreme commander, then be kind to acknowledge the independence of Artsakh. When acknowledging, it would be understandable. They say, who we should acknowledge independence, they would say that we are the aggressors. And when you go and land there, aren’t you an aggressor? No need to shake the sword for nothing. Karabakh does not have an exit with war. Karabakh has an exit with negotiations. We should not do these manifestations of patriotism, it only does harm to us. We need to think ourselves who ate the 1 billion loan of our life road. Let supreme Commander-in-chief Serzh Sargsyan deal with the internal problems of his country. What is our business with the OSCE Minsk Group? Bako Sahakyan should deal with it: the independent people of Karabakh with its supreme commander-in-chief.
Mr. Yeghiazaryan also said that deeply condolences to the families of the victims. “I pay my tribute, but unfortunately, in the last 1 year, there were nearly 3,000 victims. I cannot tell how many of them are Turks, but they are continual.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
